


Lethal Outbreak

by lumenbriide



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Drama, Gen, Gore, Hurt/Comfort, Language, Sci-Fi, Survival, Survival Horror, Suspense, Tragedy, Violence, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2018-10-22 09:45:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10694457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumenbriide/pseuds/lumenbriide
Summary: The virus is winning out, wiping out planet after planet and turning most of the infected into zombie-like monsters. The only hope for a cure lies in the ruins of a place once known as Coruscant, so a group is dispatched to return to the apocalyptic world. Led by Obi-Wan Kenobi and his partner, Anakin Skywalker, survival takes on a whole new meaning. And so does fear.





	1. The Host

  **DATE: 5/06/45876**

_Jason Dean speaking._

_This is log entry #1. As I said before, I am Jedi Knight Jason Dean of the Galactic Republic, and my current position is Standards Hospital, Coruscant. Ten o’clock at night. I don’t have a camcorder or anything, so I’m using my old comlink. Hopefully, these logs can be turned into messages or transmissions if needed. If we don’t return to Naboo alive, that is, you’ll at least know what happened to us._

_I can’t sleep, and I’m on watch, so I thought I’d start these logs. Me and a small group of people have traveled back to Coruscant to try and find a cure for a deadly virus that has nearly wiped out the galaxy. The **entire** galaxy. Seems impossible, but it’s happened. None of us is sure how…_

_Well. Maybe one of us._

_Anakin Skywalker, my young friend, is here with us, along with his mentor, Obi-Wan. Maybe we could’ve avoided all this suffering and pain if we had just listened to him when he said he was having premonitions of an apocalypse. Maybe if **I** had listened, we could’ve stopped the virus from mutating and spreading. Maybe Coruscant wouldn’t have been destroyed, as were all the other planets soon after. Only Naboo is unaffected now, and that’s where the few survivors are staying, hoping that we’ll return with a cure._

_Coruscant is a dead wasteland now, inhabited only by my team and the infected mutants that were transformed into monsters by the virus. It’s a horror film. A nightmare. And this is what we have to live in now._

_Anakin thinks the virus has something to do with a ghost in his dreams, a demon named Death. If that’s true, we’re in **way** over our heads. And even if Death isn’t involved, we’re in enough trouble as it is._

_If I told you the whole story in this one entry, we’d be here a very long time. And time is something I don’t have right now, because I think we have company._

_Yes, I can hear noises outside. The barriers are being compromised. “Anakin, guys, wake up! I can hear them! They’re trying to break down the walls! Secure positions, now!”_

_I’ll let you find out for yourself the story of Death, the virus, the Colony, and everything else that has transpired; but I’m gonna warn you now: not everyone has a happy ending._

_“Holy Force, they’ve broken through! Shoot, shoot! Force-damn it, shoot them in the head! No…!”_

_//..:::SYSTEM MESSAGE:::TRANSMISSION FAILED:::SYSTEM FAILURE:::..//_

**xXx DATE: 12/01/45875 (Six Months Earlier) xXx**

“No!"

 Gasping and panting, Anakin Skywalker sat up quickly, looking around with panicked eyes. He expected to find the terrified screams and the battered bodies that haunted his nightmares; but instead, his eyes only laid upon the quiet darkness of his bedroom, the moonlight shedding a soft glow through the window.

 Finally deciding that his fear was only a result of a dream, the twenty-year-old Jedi Knight began to breathe easier, positioning himself on his bed so that he was leaning against the wall, legs crossed, eyes closed, trying to regain control of his spinning emotions. Quickly slipping into the comfort of the Force, he focused his sudden rush of adrenaline on simply breathing. In and out. In and out. He felt the tension slowly ebb away.

 Slowly, he opened his eyes and gazed to his left. Across the room, behind a partially-drawn room divider (made of a black curtain), Ahsoka Tano was fast asleep, the small Togruta’s steady breathing visible from the rise and fall of her sheets. Not wanting to disturb her, he slipped on his light black sleep shirt before pulling on his boots and tiptoeing out of the apartment he shared with her.

It was one o’clock in the morning, and the Jedi Temple was still and silent, everyone either  asleep or in quiet meditation. Instinctively, Anakin found himself roaming the vast Room of a Thousand Fountains, wandering through the gardens before finally sitting on the border of a small white fountain, listening to the steady trickling of water and trying to quiet his screaming mind.

 “Anakin, is that you?”

 Startled, the Knight spun around to see the bleary-eyed expression of his own Master, staring at him with concern. “You shouldn’t be up at this hour,” Obi-Wan Kenobi continued, walking over and taking a seat near his former Padawan. “What’s on your mind, young one?”

 “Nothing. I’m fine, just couldn’t sleep.” _Not a full lie there… well, maybe_. Anakin turned away, not looking the older man in the eye.

 It was enough of a sign for Obi-Wan to push further. “Anakin, what is it? I can sense something is bothering you.”

 “It was just a nightmare,” he finally admitted, staring at the floor. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

 Obi-Wan grimaced, remembering clearly years ago, when a certain Padawan had occasionally come screaming or crying to his bed because of similar nightmares. He quickly pushed the bleak memories away, and tried offering his not-apprentice-but-now-partner a reassuring smile. “I’m sure you’re right. Do you want to talk about it?” He was pretty sure what the answer would be, but asked anyway.

 Just as he thought, Anakin shook his head. “No. It’s fine – I’m already forgetting about it.”

It was another lie, and both of them knew it.

It wasn’t that he wanted to deceive his old Master, just that he didn’t want to drag him into problems he was sure he could handle himself. So instead of adding more to the lie or denying anything, Anakin merely stared at the fountain ahead, focusing on watching the cool water trickle down the stone stairs before becoming a soothing whirlpool at the bottom…

He was brought back to reality by the sensation of Obi-Wan’s firm but gentle palm being laid on his shoulder, the Master squeezing it gently. “I’m sure these will pass in time,” he said in that low, comforting tone that Anakin was so familiar with.

Anakin clearly remembered when he had been a small child, curled up in Obi-Wan’s arms, a stranger among the rest of the Jedi Order. He wasn’t too fond of those memories – not because of Obi-Wan being so caring, but because it made him feel ashamed and childish. He was twenty now, an adult. He didn’t need Obi-Wan to hold him as he cried; but it was still nice to know the other man cared. “Thanks for that,” he whispered, returning Obi-Wan’s smile.

Obi-Wan pat him on the back, knowing clearly about Anakin’s pride. A pat and a few soothing words were all he could offer the young man without stinging his dignity. “Why don’t you head back to bed, okay?” As if to back up this suggestion, the Jedi muffled a yawn, smothering it with his palm.

Anakin nodded silently, getting to his feet reluctantly, the memory of the nightmare still lingering in his mind. Obi-Wan noticed his hesitation, and after thinking for a moment, offered, “Would you like to come into my apartment for a while? I could use the company.”

It wasn’t Obi-Wan suggesting Anakin was weak, or in need of being held like a child – simply Obi-Wan being a friend, and after considering the idea, Anakin gave in with a weary sigh. “Yeah, sure. Thanks.” Quickly, he also added, “I wouldn’t want to wake Ahsoka by going back to my own dorm anyway.”

The two partners made their way back to Kenobi’s apartment, the same one Anakin had shared with him before becoming a Knight and receiving his own apprentice. He hadn’t been here in quite some time he realized as Obi-Wan punched in the entry code and stepped aside to allow Anakin through first.

The décor of the room had “Obi-Wan” written all over it. Neat and tidy, with books lined on shelves and one or two houseplants adding a splash of color to the dull gray walls. Anakin compared the orderliness to his own messy apartment, and smirked. “This place hasn’t changed at all, do you know that?”

“If you mean it’s still as clean as it was the day you moved out, then I’m proud to say yes, it hasn’t changed. In fact, your bedroom is still there. You’re welcome to stay the night if you’d like.”

Anakin had the nagging suspicion this was his mentor’s plan all along, and chuckled. “I told you the nightmare’s gone already, Master. I’m fine.” _Great. Another lie._

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, not to be fooled. “If you say so. The invitation still stands.” He yawned again, and rose both arms above his head, stretching. “I’m going to bed. Stay, don’t stay, but I’m tired.” He didn’t wait for a reply – simply walked to his own bedroom, stepped inside, and shut the door.

It wasn’t rude of him – Anakin and he were close enough so that they could act as casual as they wanted around each other. In fact, if a stranger saw the two and didn’t know they were Jedi, they could’ve assumed the two were brothers, they were certainly bonded close enough to be related.

But there were some things Anakin just couldn’t share with his friend, no matter how strong their bond was. For one, the details of his nightmare, because he couldn’t even fully understand what it was about. He remembered a scream, and then a blazing fire which burned hundreds of terrified faces. More screams, and then the appearance of a woman, pure white skin, cracked, with eyes three times to small, crying tears of blood. She was a demon, her name was Death, and she would taunt him, sing a crooked parody, mock him. “You can’t stop me,” she would say. “I’m coming, and there’s nothing anyone can do. Not even the Chosen One…”

Anakin shook his head, a shiver running up his spine. _Maybe I **will**_ _stay the night. Just this once_. Shaking his head slowly to himself, he entered his old bedroom and locked the door.

**xXx (Several Hours Later) xXx**

“Master! Master, wake up! Master!"

Anakin opened his eyes, stifling a groan as the female voice continued shouting from the outside his bedroom. That same person was banging bloody murder on the door, and continued to do so until he finally stumbled out of bed and opened it to find his Padawan staring at him, wide-eyed.

“Ahsoka, what are you doing?” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, trying to get his body fully awake.

“Master Obi-Wan sent me to wake you. There’s an emergency involving the Senate,” Ahsoka explained quickly. “We have to meet him there now.”

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure. C’mon, he’s waiting!”

As Anakin followed his sixteen-year-old apprentice through the halls of the Temple and towards the hangar, his mind buzzed with possible scenarios of the before-mentioned emergency. “Ahsoka, don’t you know **_anything_**? What happened?”

“Someone psychopath I think,” Ahsoka replied as they burst into the Temple hangar. “I’m not sure – we’re just supposed to get there as fast as possible. Master Kenobi commed me and told me to wake you up. You were in his apartment?”

As they jumped into the first speeder they could find, Anakin felt his cheeks flare up. “Um… yeah. We were up pretty late talking, and then he suggested I just stay there so I don’t wake you up.” He shut up completely about his nightmare.

If she was judging him, she sure didn’t show it. Instead, she tossed him the key, which she found in the glove’s compartment. “Okay, then. Fly, Skyguy!”

Anakin already had the engines running, and in seconds their speeder was out of the hangar and flying through the air lanes of Coruscant towards the nearby Senate building. He pressured his apprentice for more information, but Ahsoka was truly as in the dark as he was.

When they finally found a place to park the speeder, there were over a dozen police transports outside the Senate building, along with two speeders Anakin recognized as Obi-Wan’s and the other belonging to Mace Windu.

The Knight and his Togruta Padawan met up with the two other Jedi on the outside landing pad. “What’s going on?” was the first thing out of Anakin’s mouth as he looked around, totally confused.

“There seems to be an insane mental patient within,” Obi-Wan replied quickly, rubbing furiously at his beard. “Someone suffering from dementia, or perhaps an escaped patient. We have men checking for any missing person’s reports now.”

“Is he holding any hostages?” Anakin’s felt his chest flutter as he asked that question, his mind immediately wandering to the image of a particular senator he had in mind.

“Luckily, no. We think we’ve got everyone out,” dark-skinned Mace Windu replied, solemn as always. “It’s getting **_him_** out that’s the problem.”

Knowing everyone was safe, including the ‘particular senator’, Anakin managed a shaky smirk in the direction of his partner. “Has the Negotiator tried **_negotiating_** yet?”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes; the sardonic display just another sign of how worrisome the situation was. It wasn’t a battle, it wasn’t in the middle of a warzone; but it was **_something_**. The ringing in the Force told everyone so. “Of course, Anakin, we’ve tried everything. We’re going to have to force him out of there.”

“Ah, and you called me because I’m so good at forcing people into submission?”

“No.” Obi-Wan’s voice grew more severe and firmer. “I need you to be serious, Anakin. Something strange is going on – I can sense it. I have a bad feeling about this situation. **_That_** is why I summoned you, not to joke around.”

That shut his former apprentice up.

This time, it was Ahsoka who spoke. “We’ll do whatever we can, Masters,” she said firmly, tossing her Master a look that read _Look how much more cooperative **I** can be_ , before going back to looking at Kenobi. “What do you need us to do?”

“You two and Kenobi are going to go inside,” Mace answered grimly. “We’ll send you in with a squad of troopers. Hopefully, you can subdue him without any real violence. He’s armed and dangerous – we believe he may have several explosives attached to him. That’s why the police called the Jedi – they aren’t prepared for terrorist attacks like this out of the blue. I’ll be waiting out here with reinforcements. Just comm if something happens.”

Obi-Wan pointed to an awaiting dozen clone troopers that stood at attention to their right. “Captain Marks is going in with us, along with his men.”

Anakin nodded, all serious now. “Okay then. What are we waiting for?”

The clones directly behind them, the three Jedi cautiously approached the large doors that led into the massive building. All the entrances and exits had been sealed closed, but now several police droids deactivated the ray shields for them to go through.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Anakin whispered, just loud enough so that his partner could hear him, who was standing by his side.

Obi-Wan nodded. “I didn’t want to snap at you; but I am worried about this situation here. Remember that this man is armed and very dangerous.”

“We’ve handled worse situations. Like Sith, for instance.”

“Either way, be careful. You too, Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan raised his voice so that the Togruta Padawan could hear the last addition.

Ahsoka responded with a sharp nod. “Of course, Master.”

//Ray shields lowered.// one police droid told them, pointing to the closest entry point. //Good luck.//

Captain Marks entered first, using a special device to sweep for any booby-traps or explosives. Finding none, the Jedi trailed in after him, their lightsabers already activate.

“Be wary,” Obi-Wan murmured, scanning the area and honing into his excellent tracking skills for any sign of their target. “Remember that we are trying to catch this man **_alive_** if possible. More than likely he’s an escaped mental patient and not in his right mind.”

“Don’t worry, General,” one clone replied. “We know what to do.”

Anakin matched his mentor’s strides so that they were walking side-by-side, with Ahsoka and the clones behind him. “Any idea where he could be hiding?” he asked quietly. The Senate building was huge, with numerous hiding places.

“I… I’m trying to sense him through the Force, but I can’t seem to be able to,” Obi-Wan said. “It’s curious – it’s as if he didn’t have a signature at all.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I know but still… you try. Perhaps you can find something I’m missing.”

Obediently, Anakin honed into his special connection with the Force, using the unique bond he had with the living energy ever since he was born. To his chagrin, he too couldn’t sense the target. “Okay, that **_is_ ** strange.”

Obi-Wan nodded grimly, and then held his right hand in the air, motioning for them all to stop moving and wait a moment. That’s when the others heard it – the faint sound of running footsteps above them. “He’s on the next floor,” Obi-Wan whispered, pointing up.

“Ahsoka and I will take the stairs ahead, and you can take the clones down the hall, and use the stairwell over there. We’ll trap him,” Anakin suggested, his voice just as low as his partner’s.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, and Anakin led his Padawan ahead while the rest of the group doubled back, retracing their steps.

“I can’t sense him, Master,” Ahsoka commented as Anakin opened the metal doors leading to the staircase. “It’s so strange. He’s here, but…”

“I know, Snips,” Anakin told her, leading them up the steps one at a time. “Something **_is_** wrong here, but we have to stay focused. Remember, do not engage him recklessly. He’s dangerous.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Master.”

They reached the door that led into the second floor, and Anakin gripped his lightsaber tighter, tensing clearly as he slowly pushed it open.

It was completely dark except for the deep red glow given off from the emergency lights. Anakin stepped into the hall first, making sure to stay ahead of Ahsoka in a protective manner. They could clearly hear footsteps coming from up ahead, and the team slowly and cautiously began to move forward, being as quiet as humanly possible.

 _“Master,”_ Ahsoka whispered, not speaking out loud but using the Force to communicate. She wasn’t too experienced in this form of transfer but found it safer than making any noise. _“Master, I have a really bad feeling about this.”_

 _“Don’t worry, Snips,”_ he answered her, also using Force communication. _“It’ll be okay.”_

There was a crashing noise from one of the rooms to the left, and Anakin stopped, holding out his arm and making Ahsoka pause as well. _“He’s in the left room all the way down the hall. Stay here.”_

Immediately, Ahsoka shot him a look to kill. _“There is no way I’m doing that, Master.”_

_“I need you to make sure he doesn’t run out here and get away, Snips.”_

_“I’m going with you.”_

There wasn’t time to argue, and Ahsoka could be just as stubborn as he was sometimes. So reluctantly he motioned for her to follow him, and the two approached the door, where the sounds of heavy pacing and harsh breathing could be heard clearly now.

Just before they reached the doorway Anakin honed into the Force, but instead of entering his training bond with Ahsoka, he contacted his old Master. _“Obi-Wan, we’ve found him on the second floor, last door to the left.”_

Obi-Wan’s voice came only seconds later. _“Anakin, wait for me. Do not approach him, do you understand?”_

_“Too late, Master.”_

It **_was_** too late, because just as Obi-Wan’s order came through, Anakin and Ahsoka stepped into the room.

The man they were tracking looked like a living nightmare. A walking corpse. Covered from head to toe in black grime and dry blood. His hair was a tangled web, and his eyes were unfocused and glazed over. He seemed to be mid-aged, but it was hard to tell because of the layer of filth that covered him.

Worse. There were several bombs strapped around his waist.

“Holy Force,” Ahsoka breathed, gaping at him.

The man looked up at the Jedi and backed up against the far wall, a look of pure insanity plastered to his face. “Get away, Jedi!” he screamed. “Get away from here! Go! Run while you still can!”

Anakin could hear Obi-Wan’s voice once again fill his mind. _“Anakin, we’re trapped on the stairwell! The door is rigged with explosives, and we highly believe our target has more. Do not engage him! Anakin, do you understand?”_

Instead of acknowledging his partner’s order, Anakin turned his attention to the target. “Sir, we’re here to help you,” he said slowly, taking a cautious step forward. “I don’t want to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you if you…”

“You can’t help me! No one can! Don’t you see? I’m a host! I’m the host! I’m **_her_** host!”

 _Host?_ “Sir, I don’t understand, but if you’ll calm down…”

“Get away!” he cried out again, violently shaking his head. “She’s already tainted me. I’m already a host! She’s spreading it, spreading it everywhere! Everyone will be hosts! Everyone!”

“Master…” For the first time, Ahsoka’s voice held a hint of fear.

The man put a hand on the belt holding the rigged explosives. “Everyone will be hosts! Everyone! **_Everyone_**!”

The warning in the Force slammed the two Jedi, and Anakin spun around, shoving Ahsoka to the side. “Run! Run, Ahsoka!”

Both of them broke into a sprint just as the man pressed the detonator, the bombs exploded, and everything went up in flames.


	2. Autopsy

The heat was unbearable. Scorching his bare skin, singing his hair and his clothing. He could smell smoke, gas, and burned flesh.

 _Oh Force, this can’t be good_. Wincing, Anakin forced his eyes open, immediately regretting the decision. His eyeballs burned with the intense heat, and he let his eyelids slide close again, exhaling shakily, which turned into a painful cough. He could feel a heavy weight across his lower back – no doubt a fallen beam or part of the wall that had collapsed because of the suicide bomber.

“Ahsoka.” He wanted to yell, but his voice came out a dry gasp. He swallowed hard, coughing again before managing a soft shout. “Ahsoka, where are you?”

He didn’t receive a reply, and that sent his anxiety soaring. Quickly, he jerked, trying to free himself from whatever was pinning him down; but a sharp pain that ran from his head down his neck made him stop and lie still, helpless.

Desperately, he honed into the Force. It was hard – the effort made his head swim and he felt the sensation to black out – but to his utter relief, he felt Ahsoka’s presence nearby, unconscious but alive.

Then, he heard the familiar and comforting voice of his mentor. _“Anakin, Anakin are you okay? Anakin! Answer me!”_

 _“Master.”_ Even in the Force his voice sounded strained and hoarse, but he continued. _“Master, I’m here.”_

_“Anakin! Hang in there, Anakin, I’m coming. We’re digging through the debris now.”_

_“A-Ahsoka. You have to get her out first.”_

_“Anakin, I can feel her through the Force. She’s alright. Just hang in there and try to keep yourself calm.”_

He felt lightheaded, nauseous, and dizzy – he knew he was about to black out. _“Master.”_

_“Anakin? Anakin, hang in there!”_

_“Master, I-I…”_

_“Anakin? Anakin, answer me…”_

Anakin struggled in the fight to stay awake for only seconds more before he let his mind go blank, and he slipped into sweet unconsciousness.

**xXx (Two Days Later) xXx**

Forty-eight hours. That’s how long he was told he had been completely knocked out, unconscious in the Halls of Healing with several fractured ribs, a concussion, and several other more minor injuries. His Padawan was in the next room, with less severe wounds, thank the Force.

As soon as he was strong enough to have visitors, Obi-Wan was at his side, as he always was. The older man was used to standing vigil at his former protégé’s side in med-bays and the Halls, and Anakin was always grateful to see him.

As usual, Obi-Wan began his “glad you’re alive” speech with a lecture. “I told you not to engage him. Not to approach him. And you flat out disobeyed me, Anakin. When are you going to learn you can’t take risks like that? You could’ve been killed!”

Anakin had heard these same words thousands of times before, and replied the same as he always had over the past decade. “I’m sorry, Master. It won’t happen again.”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow in a way that read _yeah right_ , and then sighed heavily. “You’re a lucky fool, you know that? Stupid, disobedient, and Force-damn lucky.”

That statement caught Anakin’s attention, and the Knight made a move to sit up straighter in his hospital bed. Obi-Wan was definitely serious whenever the Master used vulgar language, and he frowned. “Master, what’s wrong?”

“What do you think, Anakin? You put yourself in needless risk and nearly got yourself killed, as well as Ahsoka.”

That sent a pang of guilt soaring through the younger man. “Master Che said she was okay. She’s okay, right Master?”

The bearded Jedi nodded slowly, putting a hand to his forehead. “Don’t worry, Anakin, none of the injuries she sustained were serious. You caught the worst of it, I’m afraid. You’re going to have to stay here for several more days.”

Anakin felt his face contort into both a look of defiance and disbelief – a look Obi-Wan **_hated_**. “I can’t do that, Obi-Wan, and you know that.”

“You have a **_concussion_** , Anakin. Even **_you_** have to see that getting your brain bruised up inside that thick headed skull of yours is something worth staying in the Halls for.”

Anakin released a half-smirk, cocking his head. “My ‘thick headed skull’ along with it’s incredible mind have saved us countless times, my dear old Master.”

Anakin Skywalker could be downright exasperating; but Obi-Wan had learned that the boy’s wit and charm far outweighed the frustration, and the man let out a small laugh. “I won’t argue with that. But please, Anakin, try to get some rest. You were pretty banged up in that explosion.”

The memory of the suicide bomber flooded back into his mind, and Anakin winced. “What exactly happened after the explosion?”

Obi-Wan began rubbing his beard thoughtfully, an old habit of his. “Our first priority was finding you and Ahsoka and getting you both to the Temple for medical attention. After that, I returned to the Senate building and helped the police and clones search the area thoroughly. We managed to recover what was left of the bomber’s body. He’s on his way to Standards hospital for an autopsy.”

“Anyone else hurt?”

“Thank the Force, no. Just you two.” Obi-Wan managed to relax a little, and leaned back in the chair that was positioned to Anakin’s right. “We still have no ID, but we’ll get one eventually, from the DNA that has been sent to the labs.”

Anakin thought back to that morning. “When Ahsoka and I approached him, he seemed… terrified. Of something or someone. He kept saying something over and over about being a host. He said everyone else would become one too, a host for her.”

“Her?”

“We never found out who he was talking about, but it was female. That’s all we know.”

Obi-Wan got up from the chair, and began pacing the ground, still rubbing his facial hair with worry. “I don’t like this at all. There is a dark presence in the Force, and it’s making me uneasy. I think it has something to do with this bomber.”

Anakin looked at his Master with a raised eyebrow. “Then you don’t think he was just a demented psychopath?”

“If you mean do I think he was a crazy man, than I’m afraid the answer is no. There are no escaped mental patients from any of the hospitals on Coruscant or the nearby star systems. I think this man was afraid of something…”

“…or someone.” Anakin finished the sentence for his partner, and then added, “Maybe this woman he was talking about. He was afraid, so he killed himself?”

“It’s a strong possibility.”

“Then why the Senate building? Why not some quiet little apartment in the Underworld, where something like this would’ve been a common place occurrence among the sleemos down there?”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, searching the Force and trying to find a logical answer. When he opened his eyes, they seemed a bit brighter, as if he had just found an explanation. “This man was afraid of something – terrified. He said that whatever he was afraid of would end up turning everyone into these ‘hosts’. Perhaps he was trying to **_help_** us. He wanted everyone to be informed of what was happening.”

Anakin’s face was blank. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Think about it, Anakin. What act would attract the full attention of the Jedi, the police, the media, and the Grand Army of the Republic?”

That hit home, and the younger Jedi’s face lit up with sudden realization. “An attack on the Senate.”

“Exactly.” Quickly, Obi-Wan walked over to the door of the small room and pulled his Jedi robe off the hook attached there. “Anakin, I’m going to have to brief the Council on this new lead. Please, stay here, at least a few more days. I don’t want to have to hunt you down when we have other things to worry about.”

Anakin offered his Master an obedient, innocent look – all fake. “Of course, Master. Whatever you say.”

Obi-Wan, as always, saw right through the bluff; but deciding this new information was the main priority at the moment, he only added a sharp “Stay put” and then exited the room.

And of course, as soon as he could sense that his friend was out of the building, Anakin was on his feet and changing into his Jedi attire, which had been sitting on the nightstand beside him, along with his lightsaber. It was only moments later when he stepped out of his hospital room and was wandering down the Halls, trying to locate his Padawan learner.

He soon found her, awake and reading quietly in her bed. As soon as he stepped through the door, though, she flung the book away and grinned at him.

“Master, you’re alright!” she exclaimed, eyes shimmering.

Anakin laughed softly at her enthusiasm. “I’m perfectly fine, Snips, and I’m glad to see you are too. How are you holding up?”

At that question, Ahsoka’s smile melted into a cute pout that he had witnessed time and time again. “I’m so bored here, Master. I can’t stand it!”

“Really?” The Knight cocked his head, smirking. “How’d you like to break out of this joint with me?”

The grin returned. “Really?”

“Yes, really. We think we have a lead on that suicide bomber, so while Obi-Wan is briefing the Council, I think we can get out there and start some of our own investigating.”

Ahsoka was already on her feet, grabbing her Jedi uniform. She turned to her Master, a sly gleam in her eye that eerily reflected the one that often shimmered in her mentor’s. “I’m guessing Master Obi-Wan doesn’t know we’re leaving the Halls.”

“No, he does not.”

The Padawan slipped behind a changing screen and stripped of her hospital gown. “So, tell me about this lead you’ve got,” she called over to him.

“We’re going to head over to Standards hospital and see if the autopsy report has picked up anything interesting. An ID, hopefully.”

Ahsoka stepped back into full view, dressed in her regular maroon tunic and grey leggings. “ID? Is there enough left of him **_to_** ID?”

“Obviously, from what Obi-Wan’s told me. The bomb I guess was set to detonate outwards, not all around. More intricate weapons are capable of such.

The Padawan grabbed her lightsaber and her shoto from a basket near her bed, and after clipping them to her belt, crossed her arms and raised an eye marking. “So what are we waiting for?”

Anakin chuckled, and led his apprentice out of the Halls, being **_extremely_** careful to avoid Master Che and anyone else who might try to keep them inside.

As soon as they were outside, Ahsoka let out a small, triumphant shout. “Yes! We did it, Master!”

“Was there any doubt?”

Ahsoka smirked. “So, where exactly is Standards hospital?” the girl asked.

“I’ve been there a few times before, with Obi-Wan. It’s a little bit between the Temple and the U.E.P. #5.” (Underworld Entry Point #5)

The Master/Padawan team immediately located their speeder, and flew towards where the hospital was located. About halfway there, Anakin felt his comlink vibrate and beep, and grimaced. “Oh no. This **_has_** to be Obi-Wan. Master Che must know we’re gone and contacted him.”

Ahsoka played up a scared face. “Oh no, Master! What they gonna do with us? I’ve never been a fugitive before!”

Anakin gave his student a little shove before answering the call. “Skywalker here.”

 _‘Anakin.’_ Sure enough, it was Obi-Wan’s booming voice that came through the speakers, followed by a torrent of complaints and reprimands.

As soon as Anakin could find a break in Obi-Wan’s lecture, he spoke up. “Master, I didn’t mean to upset you. But you were briefing the Council about the lead, so I thought I’d take Ahsoka and follow up on it.”

_‘ **What**? Ahsoka’s gone too?’_

_Oops_. “Yes, Master, but look – everything is under control.”

He could hear his Master give a long, hard, exasperated sigh before replying, _‘Fine, Anakin. We’ll talk about this later. Where are you now?’_

“We’re almost at Standards hospital right now. We’re going to check in on the autopsy.”

Another long sigh. _‘Okay. Check in, and then **stay there**. I’ll meet you at the hospital and then we’ll continue the investigation together.’_

“Yes, Master.” Then, before his partner – exaggerating partner, in Anakin’s mind – could say anything else, the Knight switched the comlink off and shoved it back into his belt compartment.

Just in time. They had arrived at the hospital, which was one of the largest and best in the entire galaxy. Anakin parked the speeder outside and then took his Padawan inside, quickly finding the autopsy department in the lower levels.

They were greeted by a servant droid. //Master Jedi, how may I assist you?//

“I’m looking for the room holding an suicide bomber, a Jon Doe,” Anakin explained.

//Ah yes, the bomber. I know which room he is located at. The doctor holding the autopsy is working right now. I will show you the way.//

As they followed the droid down a dimly lit hallway, Ahsoka looked up at her Master. “Um, I thought they didn’t have any identification. You have a name?”

Anakin chuckled. “No. Jon Doe is the nickname police and investigators call an unidentified male body. Jane Doe is for female victims.”

//Here is your body.// The droid used a key card and the door to a large room slid open. There was a body under a white sheet, and a man going over several files on a computer inside. Various equipment was attached to the walls and on desks.

Anakin nodded the droid a “thank you” before entering with Ahsoka.

The man at the computer, a cream-colored Twi’lek, looked up and smiled wanly when he saw the Jedi. “Ah, you must be General Skywalker and Commander Tano. General Kenobi told me you were coming. I am Dr. Fuzio.”

 _Wow. Obi-Wan is quick_. “We need to know if you’ve found anything in the autopsy reports yet,” Anakin answered. “Hopefully an ID?”

“Well, the DNA tests are far from completed,” the doctor replied grimly. “As you can guess, the remains of our Jon Doe are… limited, to say the least. We are doing every scan and test available to the Republic. We have, however, found some quite peculiar things.” He moved over to remove the sheet.

“Um, wait.” Anakin turned to Ahsoka. “Snips, you wanna go outside for this?”

Ahsoka scowled. “Master, I’m almost seventeen. I can handle it.”

“If you say so.”

“If we are decided then…” Fuzio reached over and removed the sheet, revealing the scattered remnants of the suicide bomber. Parts of a few limbs, a torso, and the skull were all that were there – along with **_lots_** of blood.

Despite her previous statement, Ahsoka pulled a face and gagged. “Ew. Gross.”

Anakin had been to several autopsies first as Obi-Wan’s apprentice and then as a Jedi Knight; but even he grimaced. “That’s disgusting.”

“Indeed.” The Twi’lek agreed, pointing to a piece of bone fragment. “This is our Jon Doe’s spine. Notice anything different.”

While Ahsoka remained at a distance, Anakin leaned in closer for a better look. “There’s something different with his skeletal frame.”

“Very observant, Master Skywalker. Yes, something is different about our friend’s bone structure. It is almost as if he were in the middle of a metamorphosis of some sort.”

“But that makes no sense.” Anakin pulled back, thinking. “He was a human – I saw him. And humans don’t… morph. They don’t transform, and they don’t go through a metamorphosis except for growth.”

“Right again. This is why we are taking our time to study our scattered friend. I heard in the reports that he killed himself out of fear – I believe whatever he was afraid of was **_in him_**.”

Now over her former shock and disgust, Ahsoka spoke up. “What do you mean?”

“I believe that Jon Doe here had something in him. A parasite, an illness, a disease. Something that ravaged his body and took over it, beginning a transformation that was turning his body into…”

Anakin waited for the doctor to continue, and when he didn’t, said, “Into what?”

Fuzio sighed. “I do not know. It’s hard enough as it is, seeing how I am working with… mush.”

Anakin gave a grave nod, and then outstretched his palm, shaking the other man’s hand. “Thanks for all your help, doctor. The Jedi will be in contact with you.”

“Of course. I will inform you as soon as anything turns up.”

Dr. Fuzio turned back to his work, and Anakin took Ahsoka out of the room.

When they were in the hall, Ahsoka turned to the Knight, frowning. “Master, I don’t like how any of this feels.”

Anakin agreed. “I know. I can sense a darkness in the Force, and it’s surrounding this case.”

“What do you suppose it means? What do we do?”

“To be honest, Ahsoka, I’m not sure. As for what we do, now we go meet up with Obi-Wan and compare notes.” They began walking down the hall, and as they did, Anakin added, “This is only a piece of the puzzle, this bomber thing. Something bigger is at play here. A shadow is covering the Force, and whatever the full scheme of things is, it’s not going to be good.”

“But Master, can’t we do anything to stop it?”

Anakin answered as how he felt through the Force and his instincts. “No, Ahsoka. We can’t.”


	3. Search in the Crystal City

**DATE: 12/05/45875**

_A blaze filled with horrified faces. A petrified scream. A cackle that led to a burst of crazed laughter. Then she appeared again, in all her terrifying glory._

_Death._

_“You can’t stop me, Chosen One!” she taunted, running a hand along her tattered gray dress. “You can’t stop what’s meant to be.”_

_The screams started up again; and mixed in were also the howls of those vicious creatures he couldn’t identify. Yellow eyed monsters, they crawled on hands and knees like a human, but they were far from that. They were Death’s children, not by blood but by possession, and she ordered them to attack._

_They ran at him, running on two legs now, baring their teeth, glaring at him. They jumped and sprawled through the air, screeching and screaming, terrifying, petrifying, beasts tainted to the bone with darkness…_

Anakin bolted upright in his bed, gasping for breath. This was now his tenth time he’s had this same exact nightmare. Every time he closed his eyes he had the visions of Death and the creatures. And each time the same warning was screamed at him: “You can’t stop me, Chosen One.”

Groaning, Anakin dropped his head into his hands as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat there, sweating and breathing hard. The gentle rocking of the _Resolute_ was soothing – in a way. He, Obi-Wan, and another team of Jedi were in hyperspace, flying towards the planet of Christophsis. The Council had received an anonymous tip stating that the suicide bomber that had attacked the Senate had a family on the ‘Planet of Crystal Light’. Obviously, the Jedi couldn’t let such a tip slide; so four Jedi had been sent to investigate.

That had been 73 hours ago, which made it five days since the bombing and five days since his nightmares had started. Relentless visions of a massive genocide plagued his mind every time he closed his eyes, and it was beginning to seriously unnerve him. Anxiously Anakin glanced around him, relieved he hadn’t awoken anyone. At least he was on a bottom bunk – had he been on the top, he was sure he would’ve fallen and awakened the entire ship. Obi-Wan was in sweet unconsciousness above him, and across the room lay Jason Dean and Quinlan Vos.

The Knight forced himself to lay back down and **_try_** falling back to sleep. They would arrive on Christophsis tomorrow to question the Jon Doe’s family. The faint hum of the engines was a bit soothing; but not enough to slow down his racing pulse.

The last time he had had these nightmares was when he was still an apprentice to Obi-Wan. The first batch had been about a giant war, and the second had been about his mother’s death. Both ended up becoming premonitions, and both times, the dreams had become a terrifying reality. Anakin was haunted by the Clone War and his mother’s brutal murder, mostly by the fact that he hadn’t been able to stop them from occurring.

 _I won’t let this one become real_ , he told himself sternly. _I **won’t**_. If his nightmares were visions of the future, and all the destruction and death he saw in his mind were soon to become reality, he would do everything in his power to stop it. _I am the Chosen One. If I can’t stop **dreams** from creating an apocalypse, how am I supposed to save the galaxy_? It was a frightening idea when he thought about how Death taunted him, mocked him for being the Chosen One. She would laugh and spit at him, and every time he tried lashing out, craving to fight her and put an end to the nightmare, she would simply dance out of reach. _Witch_. She was a demon for sure – he had no other words to describe the terror she managed to instill. Anakin Skywalker was the Hero with No Fear, and yet a figment of his deranged imagination had him shaking and wondering…

 _How long will it be before these dreams become real_?

It was a question he hated asking himself, but he had to. After all, his other two premonitions had ended in disaster. What made this even worse was that he dreamt of the **_destruction of the entire galaxy_**. If that happened…

“I won’t let it happen,” he hissed, quietly, to himself. “I swear I won’t… I swear…”

And finally, without trying, he slipped into restless slumber.

**xXx (The Next Day) xXx**

“I’m telling you this is a waste of time!” Quinlan Vos’s tone was filled with irritation and exasperation and worst of all… boredom.

“We can’t just let this lead go,” Obi-Wan snapped at his longtime friend. He had known Quin since they had been Padawan’s at the Temple, and knew exactly how exasperating the man could be. “Just try and stay calm enough for us to get some answers.”

“You know, Kenobi, Quin could be right,” Jason Dean spoke up, slipping into his Jedi robe. “There could be no one here.”

“We have to try,” was the repeated answer, this time more stern.

Jason shrugged in reply, adding a quiet, “Whatever” to his words before ending the conversation. Twenty-eight-years-old, dark haired with a few whiskers, Jason was a respected Knight at the Temple, a remarkable warrior, clever and well-liked. However, he did have his own opinions, and this was one of them. _We should be on Coruscant_ , he thought to himself silently. _Not gallivanting around Christophsis looking for a dead guy’s family_.

Quinlan, done arguing with Kenobi, strode over to Anakin, who was packing supplies into a small sack. He slapped the younger Jedi on the back, nearly sending him sprawling. “What’s wrong with you, kid? You look almost dead.”

At that, Obi-Wan turned and stared hard at his partner, for the first time noticing his unnatural silence and exhaustion. “Anakin? Are you okay?”

Anakin shifted uncomfortably, obviously displeased at having three pairs of eyes locked onto him. “I’m fine,” he said quickly, going back to filling the backpack.

Quin looked like he wanted to press the issue further, but a sharp look from Obi-Wan caused him to turn around and back off. He would talk to Anakin as soon as he could catch the younger man in private – for now, they had a mission to accomplish. Soon, all four of them were packed and boarding their speeders, prepared to ride in Crystal City.

The sound of engines echoed through the hanger bay as the four speeders came to life. With Obi-Wan in the lead, the small group of Jedi made their way into Crystal City.

As soon as they arrived past the borders, it was obvious something was wrong. The city almost seemed… deserted. No one was in sight, no motion of any kind. Just silence.

“Pull over!” Obi-Wan called out to his three companions, and as soon as the engines died, he continued. “Is it just me, or is something **_very_** wrong here?”

Jason looked around, frowning. “There’s no one around. I can’t even **_sense_** a life form within a hundred miles.”

“Crystal City is the capitol of Christophsis,” Obi-Wan said, tone just as grim. “And on a weekday, this place should be alive and swarming. Maybe there was more in that anonymous tip then we originally thought.” They waited in silence for a few moments, as if expecting a rush of people to come out of the seemingly-abandoned buildings and quench their fears. When nothing of the sort happened, Obi-Wan spoke up again. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Anakin was focusing on the Force, searching for any sign of what had happened. Jason was right – he couldn’t sense a single life form anywhere in or even near the city. But there was a heavy presence, a malicious one, as if the dark side itself had swept down and caused the people to vanish. “Master, do you feel that?” he spoke up.

Obi-Wan replied with a nod. “Yes – the dark side.”

At that, Quin’s lightsaber came to life in a brilliant show of emerald energy. “If there’s a Sith or some other living scumbag on this rock, I’ll deal with it.”

“Slow down,” Obi-Wan scolded, frowning. “We’re going to have to search the city. Quin, you and Jason search the east. Anakin and I will go to the west. We don’t want to awaken any sleeping enemies, so we’ll go on foot.”

At that, Jason had to object. “Actually, you and Anakin both know this place better than us. Maybe Anakin can go with Quin, I’ll go with you – the search will go faster.”

It was a reasonable suggestion, Obi-Wan had to admit. And though he was a bit hesitant to leave his young  partner with the likes of Quinlan Vos, Jason had a point. Reluctantly, he nodded. “Very well – good idea. Anakin, go with Quin. Stay together and contact us if you find anything.”

“Don’t worry, Obi!” Quin exclaimed, playfully punching Anakin in the arm. “We’ll be alright, won’t we, kid?”

“Sure.” Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan, raising an eyebrow. When he saw his Master’s reassuring nod, he followed Quin towards the left.

Obi-Wan then turned to Jason. The two were close friends, having known each other for many years, as they were also with Quinlan. “Well – shall we begin?”

**xXx ((Quinlan and Anakin)) xXx**

“Keep your eyes peeled,” Quin instructed with exaggerated command. “Something dark is lurking around here – I can sense it. Evil creeping in every corner.”

Anakin chuckled. “Seriously, how did you and Obi-Wan ever become friends? You two are nothing like each other.”

Quin looked back and shot the younger Knight a huge grin. “Padawan learner Obi-Wan Kenobi needed some fun. I gave it to him.”

Both of them laughed softly, lightning the mood just a bit as they checked each building they passed by.

It was only when they reached an old storage warehouse when Quin’s normal smile disappeared, replaced by a worried frown. “Wait,” he whispered. “Hear that?”

Anakin paused and listened. Sure enough, there were moans coming from inside. “Well,” he mused. “ ** _Someone_** is here.”

Once again, Quin’s weapon came to life, and soon after came Anakin’s. Whatever was inside the warehouse stopped moaning, and was quiet.

“Maybe he doesn’t want company,” Anakin whispered, raising an eyebrow.

Quin shoved one of his dreadlocks out of his face, and smirked. “I don’t care what he wants. We’re going in.” Then, without further conversation, Vos sliced through the door’s lock, and kicked it inward.

The metal door landed on the floor with a crashing noise, which echoed through the entire building. Anakin glared at him. “So much for trying out stealth mode,” he commented.

Quin merely shrugged, and then stepped through the opening. “Stay behind me,” he instructed quietly, waving his lightsaber around and using it to make the darkness visible.

Anakin glanced around, frowning. _I still can’t sense anyone_. The dark side was getting stronger as they went deeper and deeper into the warehouse, dodging crates and broken pieces of machinery. The entire first floor was a mess, as if a tornado had hit it.

Suddenly, the moaning started up again, coming from the right – near a pile of old speeder parts. Quin lifted his hand and tossed Anakin a series of hand movements, signaling for them to split up and try to surround their target.

Anakin moved over to the right and moved forward slowly, clutching his lightsaber. He was only a few feet away when he caught sight of a leg, lying on the ground, the rest of the body covered by crates and oil-covered pieces of metal.

That’s when it happened. The groaning person jumped up, sending fragments and boxes flying everywhere. Quin let out a quick “Look out!” before lunging forward with his lightsaber.

The target began screeching in an animal-like tone, screaming and growling. And then it bolted like a laser blast, sprinting for a door that must’ve led to a staircase.

“After it!” Quin shouted, already on the move.

Anakin followed without argument, trying to use the Force and pull the man back; but to both Jedis’ shock, it had no effect on him.

Then, the man turned to reveal a face with bloodshot eyes, and a dirt covered face, streaked with what looked like tears of blood.

“What the Force…” Quin stopped moving, as did Anakin, and both just stood there staring at what may have once been a human but now acted and looked like a savage beast. It began growling at them, and Anakin could see that pointed fangs replaced what had once been the man’s teeth. Its body was hunched over, the clothing torn, the body covered in cuts and open sores.

Anakin’s mind suddenly flashed back to the appearance of the suicide bomber and week before, and realization dawned on him. _He must have the same virus that the Jon Doe had_. “Quin,” he whispered, not daring to talk any louder. “I think we should back off.”

Quinlan obviously disagreed, never taking his eyes off the creature. “What? Kid, we have got to find out what this thing is – it’s certainly not any species I’ve ever seen…”

“It’s a mutant.” ‘Mutant’ was the only word he could think of at the moment. “Quin, I think that was a man, from this city. I think he’s sick. The virus ravaged his body.”

Quin locked onto the creature, puzzled. The mutant stared right back, baring its pointed teeth and snarling. He could see that short, black claws had grown over its fingernails, and that the rags that clothed it were the remnants of clothing. Quin’s eyes widened as he realized what Anakin was suggesting. “Holy Force…”

“This entire place could be contaminated, probably from whatever disease our suicide bomber had,” Anakin added, slowly beginning to back up. “Maybe that’s why this city is abandoned. Look, let’s go and contact Obi-Wan.”

“And what about **_him_**?” Quin pointed to the creature, frowning. “If he’s sick and… mutated, or whatever… we can’t just leave him. We’ve got to find a cure for this thing.”

“We will; but I think our little friend doesn’t like us very much.”

Indeed, the mutant began growling again, louder. It used its hand to wipe away some of the bloody tears, and Anakin noticed its limbs were longer. The creature was skinny so that its bones could be seen beneath the filthy skin – obviously, if this man had once been a civilized being, the disease had changed his skeletal system. _Just like what was happening to the Jon Doe_ , he mused, heart pounding. “Quin, let’s go,” he repeated, moving faster now that the creature was completely focused on them. “I don’t know if this disease is air-born or not. We’ve got to warn Obi-Wan and Jason.”

Quin nodded, and the two Jedi were almost near the doorway when the creature launched itself into the air, hurling its body at them.

“Damn it, Anakin, run!”

Anakin dodged the monster with a second to spare, and then bolted out the door, not bothering to proceed with caution anymore. Quin was right next to him, and the two Knights began sprinting down the street with the mutant running after them on its two, withering legs.

“For a sick guy, he’s actually quite fast!” Quin declared, pushing himself to go even faster.

Anakin activated his comm, cocking his head to see that the mutant was actually gaining on them. He put the Force into his steps as Obi-Wan’s voice came through the comm. _‘Anakin, what’s wrong? Where are you?’_

“Master, get the ship ready!” Anakin shouted into the comlink. “Right now! We need to leave this place!”

The creature behind them let out a sickening screech, furious that it hadn’t captured its prey yet. Anakin grimaced at the thought of what the mutant did to its victims once they were actually caught.

_‘Anakin, what was that noise? Anakin?’_

“This city is contaminated!” Anakin replied quickly, nearly stumbling over a large crack in the street. Out of the corner of his vision he spotted movement in the buildings surrounding them, and felt panic seeping into the corner of his mind. “I can’t explain now, but this is an emergency. Get Jason, and get to the ship!” A thought came to his mind, and after hesitating just a moment, added, “Obi-Wan, if you see **_anythin_** _g_ run towards you besides us, I want you to take off. Don’t wait for us.”

Anakin could feel Obi-Wan’s shock and anxiety through the Force, buzzing like electricity. _‘What are you talking about? Anakin, what is happening…?’_

“Bye, Master.”

Anakin cut the transmission short just as dozens of the mutated creatures came tumbling out of the buildings and housings, all of them with red eyes and the same ravaged bone structure.

 _Oh hell_. Quin reached out into the Force and tried clearing a path through the wave of monsters, but nothing happened. “They aren’t affected by the Force!” he shouted, gripping his lightsaber tighter.

“Tell me something I didn’t already know!” Anakin passed a mutant and cut it down, wincing as steaming red blood splattered across his tunic. “Try not to let any of them touch you! We don’t know how this virus spreads!”

“Fast, that’s how!” Still, Quin heeded the advice, and jumped high into the air, swinging the vibrant blade at the first monster within reach.

**xXx ((Obi-Wan and Jason)) xXx**

Jason and Obi-Wan reached the ship within moments of Anakin’s transmission. As Jason tumbled into the cockpit, starting up the engines, Obi-Wan waited at the boarding ramp, looking for his two friends.

After failing to contact him via comlink, Obi-Wan switched to the bond he shared with his former apprentice, honing into the Force. _“Anakin, are you there?”_

To his relief, he got a reply. _“Master! I really can’t talk right now. Are you at the ship?”_

_“Yes. Jason and I are here.”_

_“Make sure you’re prepared to leave as soon as we arrive. Obi-Wan, did you find anything in your search?”_

_“No. The entire place is deserted…”_

_“Not exactly.”_

_“Anakin, what is it? What’s wrong?”_

He waited a few seconds, and got no answer. _“Anakin, can you hear me? Anakin!”_   Still no answer. He could feel his partner and Quinlan coming closer, and was able to sense their worry – and fear. Confusion. Something was terribly wrong

Jason came running down the ramp, panting. “Okay, the ship’s ready. Where’s Anakin and Quin?”

“I don’t know.”

At that moment, Jason squinted his eyes, and then pointed up ahead. “Isn’t that them?”

Sure enough, Obi-Wan spotted two figures, carrying lightsabers, racing towards them at a remarkable speed. “Why are they running like that?” Jason murmured, staring at them. “What did they find….. holy shit!”

Just as the curse escaped Jason’s lips, the citizens of Crystal City came into view behind Anakin and Quin. Obi-Wan and Jason gaped as a mob of savage, horrid mutants came racing towards them, screeching and making unidentifiable sounds and growls.

“What the hell are those things?!” Jason took a step forward, his hand reaching for the lightsaber that hung on his belt.

Quin spotted the two and the ship, and screamed, “Get on the ship! Start it up! Get on board!”

Jason waited a second, deciding whether or not to attack the creatures pursuing his companions; but then he dashed into the cockpit and ignited the engines.

“Go, Obi-Wan!” Anakin motioned for the older man to get inside the ship. “Get into the cockpit!”

Obi-Wan’s azure lightsaber was already activated, but on hearing Anakin’s calls, he reluctantly retreated into the ship.

Quin kicked back a mutant that tried grabbing his ankle, and then used the Force to launch himself several feet through the air. Anakin mimicked his movement, and the two crashed down inside the cargo hold of the ship.

Quin stumbled to his feet and shouted into the cockpit, “Go!”

Jason manned the thrusters, and began closing the ramp. Suddenly, three mutants jumped into the air with incredible speed, and clung to the edge of the ship, hissing and snarling.

“I’ll take care of those two!” Quin declared. The rash Knight then dashed forward, and swung his lightsaber in a choppy arc, knocking off the mutants’ heads while rarely missing cutting the ship’s sides.

Anakin made his way over to the control panel, and slammed his fist against one of the buttons, closing and sealing the door that led into the front part of the ship.

In the cockpit, Obi-Wan programmed the hyperdrive coordinates for Coruscant, and managed to finally close the boarding ramp all the way. “Jason, activate the hyperdrive!”

Obediently, Jason pulled on the lever, and finally… they were safely in the lightspeed tunnel.

Everyone took a few moments to catch their breaths and let the reality of what had just happened sink in. After a minute or so, Obi-Wan walked over to the door that led into the cargo hold; only to find it locked. Confused, he looked through the window to see Anakin and Quin shaking their heads at him.

 _“Master.”_ Anakin called through their Force-bond. _“We don’t know how this virus spreads. Quin and I were both exposed more than you two. It’s safer if we stay in here until we reach Coruscant and go into quarantine.”_

Obi-Wan nodded grimly, sighing. _“What happened? What were those things, Anakin?”_

_“I’m not sure. They were the people of Christophsis, but mutated in a way. I fear it may be the same disease that our suicide bomber from the Senate had.”_

_“If this is a virus, we need to warn the people of Standards hospital as well as the rest of Christophsis.”_

_“I know.”_

Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder and saw Jason talking to the Council via hologram, telling them that they were on their way back and that they would explain everything once they returned. Now feeling drained and completely confused, Obi-Wan leaned against the door and exhaled heavily.

 _What the hell just happened_?


	4. Taking Action

**DATE: 5/07/45876**

_Jason Dean. Log entry #2._

_I’ve got the comm working again, though I don’t know for how long. We’ve managed to hold the mutants off, but at any second they could attack again. And next time, we may not be able to hold them off. We haven’t had time to form a stable security system yet. This building is so big, and we have only been here a day or so, maybe more. Ax is the one who keeps track._

_Anakin and Inya are trying to get the power core up and running, so that the locking mechanisms will work, as well as the lights and such. I look at him, and I feel guilt. Overwhelming guilt. All of this disaster could’ve been avoided if I had just listened to him…_

_“What? I’m coming! Hang on!”_

_Obviously, they need help. I’ll have to continue this later…_

_//..:::SYSTEM MESSAGE:::TRANSMISSION PAUSED:::TRANSMISSION PAUSED:::..//_

**xXx DATE: 12/06/45875 (Five Months Earlier) xXx**

“Only a few more minutes ‘till we reach Coruscant,” Jason announced, sighing in relief.

Obi-Wan nodded, then moved out of his chair and towards the cargo hold. The door was still locked, and he peered through the window to see Quin and Anakin sleeping on the other side. He traveled through the Force to contact his former Padawan mentally. _“Anakin, are you alright?”_

Slowly, Anakin’s eyes opened, and the younger Knight turned in his direction. _“Yeah, just tired.”_

_“Do you feel okay?”_

_“Yes.”_

That brought some relief. Obi-Wan anxiety about his friends and this mysterious virus was beginning to cloud his mind, much to his chagrin. _“We’re going to head immediately to Standards hospital and get you two examined over there. It’ll be safer than going directly to the Healers.”_

Anakin nodded, frowning. _“Master, what if we’ve been infected?”_

The question tolled in the Force unanswered for several minutes before finally Obi-Wan had an answer. _“If you and Quin have this disease, I will do everything in my power to find a cure.”_

_“I know you will.”_

At that moment, Quinlan sat up and rubbed his eyes, yawning. He gave the two of them a curious look. “Why are you two staring at each other like that?”

Anakin smirked. “Force-bond chatting.”

Quin crossed his arms, grinning. “Ooh! I wanna do that! Kid, read my mind.”

“It doesn’t work like that Quin…”

Quin knew, and the little moment of jovialness wasn’t unwelcome. Obi-Wan turned away from the cargo hold and sat back down next to Jason, managing a weary smile when they dropped out of hyperspace, and Coruscant appeared before them. “I’ve already sent a message to Standards, saying that we’re on our way there with some possibly contaminated friends of ours,” Jason stated. “It’s nighttime, but the hospital is open 24/7.”

“Good.”

Jason took a deep breath before inquiring, “Obi-Wan… what were those things chasing them?”

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “I’m not sure, Jason. Anakin won’t go into details with me yet, except saying that some kind of disease has infected the entire Crystal City.”

“Then those people chasing them… they were sick?”

“I’m going to assume so, yes.”

Jason leaned back in his seat, deep in thought. “Wow,” was all he managed to say.

“Anakin did tell me that this disease ravages the living body, turning it into a host. Then the body goes through a violent metamorphosis of some sort, suiting the virus’s needs. At least, this is what he suspects.”

“We’ll find out soon enough. We’re here.”

Sure enough, Jason activated the landing gear as their shuttle began making its way down to the nearest landing pad a moment later. Standards hospital was the one of the best and largest in the entire galaxy – it was also where the Jon Doe’s body was still located. The autopsy wasn’t finished yet, Obi-Wan had heard.

As soon as the ship touched down, several people came running towards them, some of them wearing protective clothing, other’s dressed like doctors. Several security droids were with them to, as well as a few Jedi.

 _“Are we here?”_ Obi-Wan heard Anakin’s voice ring through his head.

_“Yea, we’re at the hospital. Some people are coming over to help get you in and then take a few tests, I guess.”_

_“Okay. Did you tell the Council about what happened?”_

_“Jason explained a bit, but not much.”_

_“What are you going to tell them?”_

Obi-Wan thought several moments, and then sighed. _“The truth. There’s nothing else **to** say”_

The small group from the hospital knocked on the door, and then opened it up. As the doctors and scientists whisked Anakin and Quin away, the Jedi entered the ship and unlocked the door.

The faces of Windu, Shaak Ti, and Plo Koon were grim as Windu spoke up first. “Kenobi, what just happened?”

“I wish I knew, Master,” Obi-Wan admitted as Jason added, “We have a lot to tell you, but most importantly, we must warn the rest of Christophsis about the disease I mentioned earlier.”

“Yes, the one that you said had a horrifying toll on the living body. I was hoping you could explain further about such a virus.”

“We’ve already contacted the Chancellor,” Shaak Ti stated. “He said he’ll contact the representative for Christophsis and they’ll work out a quarantine program.”

Obi-Wan began rubbing his beard thoughtfully. “That may not be enough. From what I saw, this virus infected all of Crystal City, turning them all into some sort of mutated creature. At least, that’s what Anakin told me. I was quite a distance away.”

At the mention of Skywalker, Mace’s scowl deepened. “So you’re taking Skywalker’s account on what happened back there? Don’t you think his description could be a bit exaggerated when he says mutants…”

“I saw them too,” Jason interrupted. “A whole swarm of them, maybe the entire city’s population, running after both Anakin and Quin.”

“But were you up close?” Mace countered. “Did you see for yourself an infected, plagued creature? Or perhaps it was the villagers sick and so desperate for help that they were willing to attack the Jedi in order to get their assistance?”

“I believe Anakin’s word,” Obi-Wan stated firmly. “If he says that this virus is ravaging and mutating the infected then… I’ll believe him.”

“Be wary, Master Kenobi,” Plo Koon counseled softly. “You’re judgment must be faced on facts – not loyalty to your apprentice.”

“You’re presence is required for an immediate Council meeting,” Mace told him as they turned to leave. “We will decide what to do about this ‘said’ epidemic.”

Obi-Wan, now irritated, began following the other Masters out of the ship; but he turned back and gave Jason a worried look.

Jason noticed it a offered the man a wan smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay here and make sure they’re both okay.”

Grateful, Kenobi nodded before making his way back towards the Temple.

**xXx DATE: 5/07/45876 (Five Months Later) xXx**

_Jason Dean. Log entry #3._

_I remember the day of we went searching in Crystal City perfectly, as if it had been yesterday, as well as what had happened afterwards. I remember watching Obi-Wan leaving with the Council and I remember thinking one, specific thought._

**_They’re not going to believe us._ **

_Why would they? We were talking about **mutants**. Figments of imagination. The only way to get real proof was to go to Crystal City, and both Obi-Wan and I knew that sending someone there could be suicidal. _

_I myself hadn’t seen them very well. I saw the forms of people running after Anakin and Quin, but that was it. I hadn’t noticed anything peculiar except that my friends were having some difficulty defeating them or outrunning them. I didn’t have hard evidence._

_Anakin and Quinlan had seen these mutants face to face, but c’mon… we’re talking about the two most reckless Jedi in the entire Order. Quin’s been staying in the Outer Rim for years now, and Anakin is the youngest Knight and general we have. I had the gut feeling at the time that the Council would assume they were exaggerating._

_I’m ashamed to say I had my own doubts. That’s what I hate about myself – I can be easily persuaded. So when the Council kept telling me over and over that I had been imagining the monsters, I began believing their words instead of my own conscious._

_How weak we were back then. Weak and foolish. We may have been able to stop the virus if we had looked deeper for the truth, kept pressing._

_I believe now that maybe we were just too afraid of the truth to actually go and look for it…_

_//..:::SYSTEM MESSAGE:::TRANSMISSION ENDED:::TRANSMISSION ENDED:::..//_

**xXx DATE: 12/06/45875 (Five Months Earlier) xXx**

//You may go in and see him now.// the medical droid told Dean as he waited in the hall.

Jason replied with a grateful smile. “Thanks.” Slowly, he pushed open the doors, and smiled when he saw Anakin already off the medical cot and pulling a clean shirt over his head.

“You’re leaving already?” he spoke up, causing Anakin to spin around, surprised.

“You startled me.”

“Obviously.”

Jason sat down on the cot as Anakin wrapped his utility belt around his waist and strapped it on. “How do you feel?”

“Tired, sore, and frustrated,” the Knight replied slowly, crossing his arms. “Nothing too serious though. I was just relieved when the doctors said Quinlan and I didn’t pick up any contamination. At least we’re not gonna turn into those creatures from Crystal City.”

“Yea, about that… Anakin, what were they really like? I didn’t get a good look at them.”

Anakin frowned, and sat down next to the other Jedi. “They looked like… mutated humans, really. I don’t know how else to explain them. Red or yellow eyes, bloodshot, and there was blood running from them. Their bones were showing, and their skin was grayish.” He paused a moment and grimaced. “I’ve never seen anything like that. Has the Council been informed?”

“Yes, in a way,” was the quiet reply. “I’m afraid they’re having a hard time believing what’s happened.”

“I thought they would. But they have to! If they don’t shut down that city and isolate the disease, it could spread. The Jon Doe made it all the way to Coruscant!”

“Obi-Wan’s reasoning with them now,” Jason replied quickly. “He really is, but he didn’t catch a good look at these monsters either. You and Quinlan will have to go to the Council and personally tell them about the dangers on Christophsis.”

Anakin nodded slowly, staring at the ground. “That’s what I’m worried about. The Council never listened to me before… why should they believe this? I don’t think they consider Quin any more valuable a source than I am.”

Jason placed a firm hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. With a threat this serious, they’ll have to do **_something_ ** about it. Once they go there and see that the city really is infested with these things and this disease, they’ll quarantine the entire thing. You and Obi-Wan have dealt with epidemics before, right?”

“The Blue Shadow Virus threat, yes, but…”

“Then my guess is that Kenobi’s gonna request you and him are charged with overseeing the operation first-hand. This virus, whatever it is, won’t get a chance to spread.”

Anakin finally looked up, and locked eyes with the other Knight. “And if it does?”

To be honest, Jason hadn’t thought that far ahead – and could only offered  a feeble smile as reassurance. “Don’t worry. It won’t. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

**xXx DATE: 12/13/45875 (Four Days Later) xXx**

_A week. It’s been a week since what happened on Christophsis, and what has the Council done? Practically **nothing**. I knew this would happen! They thought Quinlan and I were exaggerating, pretty much shrugged our statement off. I wanted to go back there myself and personally wipe out every one of the mutants… but that would be suicide. Jason is on a mission in the Outer Rim, so he can’t stand up for our statement. So I did the next best thing – I went to the Chancellor. He and I have been friends ever since we met over a decade ago. I thought he would support at least a local military squad to be sent over and investigate the situation._

_It happened. A team of LCS (Local Christophsis Scouters) were sent over to Crystal City, and you know what they found? Nothing. Nothing at all. Empty buildings, blood; but no mutants, no horde of demented monsters. The story out now was that the Separatists had used a chemical weapon on the citizens, making them go crazy, and then had disposed of them._

_No one believes me or Quin. No one. And I’m not ashamed to say that I hate the Council more than ever right now…_

Anakin stared at the page on his data-pad, anger and irritation pulsing off him in waves. After a while, and thinking of nothing else to type down, he shut the device off and went to pacing around the room, frustrated.

From small sofa, Ahsoka Tano looked up from her own data-pad and frowned at her Master. “What’s wrong?”

Immediately he shrugged her off. “Nothing. Keep reading.”

“Master.” The tone she used meant that she would not back down so easily. She could be just stubborn as he – and they both knew it. “First you’re over there typing so angry that I thought you’d punch a hole through you’re data-pad, and now you’re wearing the carpet out with your feet. What is it?”

When she received no answer, she added, “It has something to do with all those Council meetings you’ve been going to, doesn’t it?”

Anakin sighed, putting his forehead in his palm. “Snips…”

Ahsoka got up and walked over to him, crossing her arms. “C’mon, Master, you can tell me. What’s been going on with you lately? You’re always at the Senate Building or with Master Kenobi or with the Council. Something’s going on, and I don’t like being left in the dark.”

“I’m not trying to leave you in the dark, Ahsoka. I just don’t want you involved in some scandal…

“Scandal? What scandal?”

Finally he looked down at her. She was staring up at him, expression so determined that he knew he’d never win this argument. _Why does she have to be… so much like me_? “Fine.”

The Padawan waited patiently, arms still crossed.

Anakin exhaled heavily and sat down on the sofa. She mimicked his movement, the pressed on. “Well?”

He hesitated a moment before saying, “There have been… issues… between me and the Council. And Master Vos. We found a threat on Christophsis, but the Council isn’t taking us seriously. It doesn’t help that we don’t have any hard evidence either.”

Ahsoka nodded, thinking hard. “The threat... what was it?”

 _This is the hard part_. “Master Vos and I were paired up to search the Crystal City. At first it seemed deserted, but then…”

“ _Deserted_? The entire city?” She couldn’t believe it.

“Yeah, or that’s what it seemed like. Then we searched harder, and we found something. A… creature.”

She waited for more, but when none came… “Master? Are you okay?”

Anakin was staring into the distance, frowning, seeming almost unfocused.

“Master? Master, what’s wrong?” She put a hand on his arm, and finally he turned to look at her, eyebrow raised.

“Huh?”

“You were telling me about some sort of creature you found on Christophsis. Was that the threat?”

He grimaced. “Pretty much. But it isn’t how you would think. There was this disease, I think, and it infected everyone in the city. That creature – creature _s_ , I should say – I think… I think it was a human mutant, Ahsoka. Morphed because of the virus that spread.”

He didn’t blame her for looking so confused and bewildered. “Master,” Ahsoka said slowly. “I-I don’t get it.”

Anakin tried to explain better. “I have a theory – that the same virus our Jon Doe had was originally from Crystal City. The disease ravages the living body and turns it into a host…

“Just like the suicide bomber said!”

“Exactly. And then the host is forced into a transformation to turn it into the creatures Quin and I saw.”

Ahsoka’s eyes were wide as she gaped at her Master. “And the Council won’t do anything about this?”

Anakin shook his head, growing angrier at the Council as the conversation went on. “They don’t believe me, Snips. And they don’t believe Quin, either. They sent men to the city, and it was deserted. No one there.”

“But those mutants things that you saw, they couldn’t have just disappeared.”

“I know. That’s why I’m so worried.” He got back up and began pacing again. “They might’ve died and the bodies somehow disappeared. Or they could’ve spread out all over Christophsis. Ahsoka, if we don’t find out soon, they could infect the entire planet. All of Christophsis could face an epidemic, far worse than any other that we’ve ever seen because of what this disease can do.”

“Can’t **_you_** do something, Master?”

Anakin thought hard, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve considered going back there myself personally, permission from the Council or not…”

“I’d go with you!”

“No, Ahsoka.”

“But…”

“ ** _No_**.” There was no way he was letting her anywhere near those things. “It is **_far_ ** too risky, Ahsoka. I’m not letting you go.”

He saw that look in her eyes, the one that read _I’m going no matter what_ , and scowled at her. He lowered his voice and almost growled. “No.”

The Togruta twisted her lips, frustrated. “Master, I could help you. If we don’t go, something terrible will happen. You said so yourself!”

She had a point – she almost always did. Anakin thought hard for several minutes, before finally turning back to her. “I’m not letting you on Christophsis…” He ignored the groan that statement brought, continuing, “But I do need your help. You said that Dr. Fuzio is still doing the autopsy? That he’s managed to preserve the body or something?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Go to Standards hospital,” Anakin ordered as he ran into his bedroom and grabbed a sack of supplies. “I want you to remain there, and tell him what I just told you. Tell him to look for the virus that may still be contaminating the body. I want you to stay with him and help him with the autopsy.”

Thrilled to have at least _some_ task, Ahsoka got up quickly, nodding. “Should I inform the Council first?”

Anakin shook his head as he threw on his Jedi robe. “No. You’re my Padawan – what I tell you to do is none of their business.” He paused just a moment to stare at the girl in front of him. Ahsoka had matured much since they had first met each other – she could handle it. _She could probably handle coming with me too_ , he admitted to himself. _But no_. “Be careful, Ahsoka.”

The Padawan smirked, placing her hands on her hips. “I think **_I_** should be telling **_you_ ** that.”

He smirked at her and said bye one last time before racing out the door.

He sprinted down the halls of the Temple while activating his comm. “Hey Obi-Wan, you there?”

Moments later, his mentor’s voice replied. _‘Yeah. What’s wrong?’_

“No time to explain really.” Anakin ran into the Temple’s hanger and looked around for a suitable transport. “Master, do you believe my story about those mutants?”

_‘What? Anakin, I don’t understand…’_

“Do you, yes or no? Answer the question!”

_‘Of course I believe you, Anakin, but why are you asking me…?’_

“I’ll explain when you get down here.” Anakin saw the _Twilight_ and made his way over to it.

_‘Get where? Anakin, what are you up to?”_

“You mean what are _we_ up to. You’re coming with me. We’ve got to stop this thing before it gets out of hand.”

_‘…Anakin… You’re getting yourself into trouble again, aren’t you? What are you stopping?’_

“You mean _we_.”

_‘Fine. What are **we** stopping?’_

Anakin climbed into the Twilight, but paused just a moment to answer his partner.

“Disaster.”


	5. Disaster

_“What are we stopping?”_

_“Disaster.”_

**xXx DATE: 12/14/45875 (The Next Day) xXx**

As the _Twilight_ left the lightspeed and began making its way towards Christophsis’ atmosphere, Kenobi found himself increasingly becoming and more and more doubtful of his partner’s actions. It wasn’t that he **_doubted_** Anakin – no, he knew him better than anyone, and knew that if Anakin did something, it was always because he had a good reason. But still… this time, Anakin was really pushing the limits. “At least let the Council know where we are,” he repeated for what may have just been the hundredth time.

And like all the other times, Anakin replied, “We can’t. They’ll try to stop us and bring us back. And we **_need_** to do this.”

It wasn’t “I feel this is the right thing to do” or “This is the best thing”. No, it was “We **_need_** to do this”, the “need” spoken with such confidence and finality. Anakin was so determined to go and examine the Crystal City itself that Obi-Wan knew that even the Negotiator wasn’t going to change his apprentice’s mind. With a defeated sigh, the Master leaned back in the co-pilot’s chair and crossed his arms. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“So do I.”

 _Well that statement sure doesn’t help_. “And do you even have a plan for when we reach the city? From the theory you’ve told me, this virus is highly contagious. Just stepping foot past the city borders is a deadly, possibly fatal, risk.”

“Quin and I were right in the midst of those things, and we’re still fine,” Anakin replied. “That’s one other thing we have to figure out: how it spreads.”

Obi-Wan stared at his boots, exhaling slowly. “Anakin, I value what you’re trying to do here, I really do; but if this thing is as big as you say it is, do you really think just two people are going to make any difference? We could go there, get infected, become one of those **_things_** , and then the galaxy will be in no better shape.”

“We have to take that risk, Master…”

“I know that, Anakin, but pause and consider your odds,” Obi-Wan said, almost pleading. He had served as Anakin’s Master for over a decade – he knew how to get the younger man to stop and listen. “This mission could get way out of hand for just the two of us to handle.”

Anakin frowned, and leaned back in the pilot’s chair. “I know that. But I have to do something, **_anything_** , to stop this.”

Obi-Wan glanced at him worriedly. “Anakin… does this have anything to do with your nightmares?”

At his friend’s confused glance, he added, “I’m not as ignorant as you may think, Padawan. I’ve noticed you’ve been having more and not telling anyone.”

Anakin sighed and lowered his head. “I don’t know what they mean, Master, but… I think these mutant things are in them. At least, I keep seeing creatures that resemble them.”

Obi-Wan began rubbing his beard, mind racing. It was no secret that Anakin’s dreams usually ended up becoming more than anyone realized – more than once the Knight had suffered from vivid nightmares that became premonitions or visions, even as a child. “Anakin, I…”

Suddenly, the ship was filled with blinking lights, and moments later, they dropped out of hyperspace. Before them loomed Christophsis.

Immediately Anakin began pressing several mechanisms and steered the ship towards the blue/green planet. Obi-Wan remained sitting, his knowledge of flying extremely limited compared to his partner’s. He did, however, manage to activate the landing gear as Anakin flew the ship as close to Crystal City as he dared, which was a mile away. As they flew overhead, he looked down through the window and frowned. “It looks like a ghost town,” he remarked grimly.

In the middle of the landing, Anakin began messing with the communication control panel, so that seconds later, the hologrammic image of his Padawan appeared. “Hey, Snips,” Anakin managed to greet her with a steady and calm voice. “Thought I’d check in before Obi-Wan and I start our investigation.”

The Togruta smirked, and placed both hands on her hips. “Well, in the seven hours you were gone, I’ve been interrogated five times. The Council’s really pissed that you…”

“Language, Ahsoka.”

“Fine. The Council’s really, really, super annoyed that you took Master Kenobi and went AWOL on them. They keep asking me where you are.”

Anakin didn’t know whether to feel amused or worried. “What did you tell them?”

Ahsoka winked at him via hologram. “I told them you were off saving the galaxy in some way or another. Eventually, they got so frustrated they stopped asking me.”

While Anakin nodded, Obi-Wan decided to speak up. “Ahsoka, how is the autopsy going?”

“Pretty good, actually. Dr. Fuzio’s been working nonstop, but then he got a headache and his assistant, Inya, told him to refresh himself. That was a half hour ago, actually, so I’ve been working with Inya on the autopsy. So far, we’ve found traces of some sort of virus, but it’s nothing identifiable. We can’t even compare it to any known disease – the matrix and the system of the bacteria is just so complex. We have been able to confirm that whatever ‘germ’ did this, it did it by attaching itself to the cells of the body and ‘rewriting’ the DNA and everything. It’s just so bizarre, Master.”

“Okay, Ahsoka, keep up the good work.” They were almost on the ground. “Obi-Wan or I will contact you if anything happens here, okay?”

“Sure thing, Skyguy.” Before the conversation could end, though, the girl allowed a small, worried look at the two Jedi. “Be careful. Whatever this thing is, Master, you **_were right_**. From the looks of it, it’s extremely lethal, and we have no cure at all. If this is a virus spreadable through bacteria or anything like that…”

“Don’t worry, Snips, we’ll be okay.” Anakin shot her a half-hearted smile, and then cut the transmission… even though it was taking everything he had to try and believe those words himself.

He knew something horrifying was about to happen. He just knew it. 

And he also had that sickening feeling that no matter what he did, none of it would matter, because nothing could stop was bound to happen.

The _Twilight_ landed a mile away from their target city, and as soon as the engines were cut, Anakin was out of his seat and powering up the landspeeders. Obi-Wan followed him quickly. “Slow down, Anakin,” the Master spoke up as Anakin opened the ramp. “We need to do this with the upmost caution.”

Anakin shot him an annoyed glance as he began pulling the speeders down the ramp and out into the noon-day sun. “Master…”

“Anakin.” Obi-Wan crossed his arms and used the tone he had become accustomed to as Anakin’s Master. His partner exhaled sharply, frustrated.

“I’ll be careful, okay?” he stated. “Can we just go?”

That was the most he would get out of the younger Knight for now. Obi-Wan knew this, and decided to stop pressing. “Yes. Let’s go.”

Anakin was already on his speeder. He quickly attached his comlink to the control panel, and then transferred the city’s layouts to Obi-Wan’s transport. “We’ll  go to the building Quin and I found the first mutant in,” the Knight stated, starting up his engine. “We can fan out from there.”

It was the only real plan they had, so Obi-Wan agreed, and the two Jedi rode their speeders into Crystal City.

The holo-vids were the understatement of the century to Obi-Wan as his eyes rested on the destruction that surrounded him. The city smelled of death and disease, rotting pools of blood everywhere, filthy handprints on glass windows, garbage everywhere. Surprisingly, there were no animals or bugs of any kind around – as if they knew to stay away 

Anakin parked his speeder in front of the abandoned warehouse and motioned for his mentor to do the same.

“This is where we found it,” the Knight stated, taking the lightsaber off his belt and holding it firmly in his hands. _Just in case_ , he thought grimly.

Obi-Wan mimicked his movements, and the Master shuddered as he felt a chilling presence slip through the Force. The feeling of dread. He couldn’t sense any other life forms except for himself and his partner – but there was an uneasiness in the air, a feeling that made him suck in a sharp breath and tense. “Anakin…”

“I feel it too,” his former Padawan said quickly. “Something’s wrong.” His lightsaber came alive in a show of bright energy, and the Knight moved forward with quick but cautious steps.

“Anakin, wait!” Obi-Wan hissed, keeping his voice low but urgent. The Master hurried forward and touched his partner on the shoulder. “Be patient. We need to…”

His words cut off by a loud crash; and then suddenly, a mutant came flying out of a second story window and hurled itself at the two Jedi.

“Master, move!” Anakin lunged forward and shoved Obi-Wan forward. The monster landed heavily on the stone ground, and then stumbled back onto its two crooked legs – legs which had been fractured and gashed, Obi-Wan realized. _How is he able to move when he’s so injured_ …?

Broken legs or not, it came sprinting at them, screeching at the top of its lungs. Its voice dipped high and low, groaning then screaming, then giving an eerie whimpering noise. Anakin was in front of his mentor a second later, and using his lightsaber, decapitated the monster the moment it was close enough to reach.

As the body crumbled to the ground, Anakin noticed with dismay that the mutant’s ‘calls’ had attracted more of the foul creatures. They came tumbling out of doorways and windows – Obi-Wan spotted one crawling out of the sewer.

“Anakin, we need to get out of here.” Obi-Wan Kenobi was never one to panic; but he was as close to frantic as one could be. He had never seen anything like this in all of his lifetime – it was eerie and blood-chilling to see men who had once been people now turned animals.

Anakin was back-to-back with his partner, and visibly tensed when he saw a dozen more of the creatures come racing at them from farther down the street. “Alright, when I say go, we make a run for the speeders. Don’t look back, don’t get clawed or bit. Got it?” He was letting his ‘General Skywalker’ instincts take over now. It was the only way to ensure he didn’t let fear or panic hinder their escape.

Obi-Wan didn’t object to his plan. He simply nodded his head, and after waiting a second more, Anakin hollered, “Go!” and the pair took off faster than they had ever run in their lives.

The sudden movement stunned the mutants for only about a half second before they started hunting them down, the whole time filling the air with their growls and screams. Obi-Wan winced at the sight of a small group of **_former_ ** children that scrambled and clawed at his ankles – he was forced to kick them back.

They both reached the speeders, jumped on, and started up the engines. They pushed the throttle as fast as they could without breaking the engines, and sped out past city borders. Even though they were on vehicles, the screeches followed them, and when Anakin risked a glance backwards, he observed that the wave of creatures were still running and stumbling after them at a fairly quick pace.

“When we reach the ship, we can’t afford any stops!” he hollered above the speeder noise. “You shut the ramp and seal any entrances while I start up the ignition and get us the hell out of here!”

Obi-Wan replied with a nod; he was focusing mainly at not crashing his bike. They were going well past any speed even Anakin had ever attempted, and he felt queasy at traveling at such a high and deadly pace. Even Anakin seemed rigid and stiff, and Obi-Wan couldn’t blame him. His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest at any moment.

But the **_real_** panic set in when he squinted his eyes, staring at the horizon. He could see their ship, only a short distance away now, but about a ½ mile farther back, he could make out what looked like a stampede heading towards them. _But there’s no herd animals on Christophsis, so what…_?

_No. Way._

He bit his lip, and accessed the Force so he wouldn’t have to scream above the engines. _“Anakin, what’s that in the distance?”_ His mind started buzzing. He knew the answer – he just couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge it yet.

Anakin now took notice of the queer sight. He used the Force to try to sense what they were; and then he came up with nothing, and he knew.

“Damn it!” He couldn’t hold the curse in. He then switched to the Force. _“Master, I can’t sense what those things are…”_

_“Me neither. And they’re not machines either, or we’d still be able to tell…”_

_“Master, the virus spread.”_

Those things running at them were mutants, which meant that Crystal City was not the only contaminated area. And from what Obi-Wan had seen, at the rate the virus was capable of spreading…

All of Christophsis was doomed, if not already destroyed completely.

This made surviving and getting to the ship even more important. What didn’t help, though, was now Anakin couldn’t hold back the panic. The virus had spread to other parts of Christophsis. Now, as they traveled further, the outlines of the mutants were clearer. Men, woman, and children, all scrambled and tripping over themselves as the ran across the horizon towards them. Faint howls could be heard over the screams of the creatures that were still following the Jedi from behind. He suddenly spotted more coming from the left and right.

They were being surrounded by a horde of hundreds.

_“Anakin.”_

_“I see them, I see them!”_

_“If we slow down to park the speeders and board the ship…”_

_“We’re not gonna.”_

_“What?”_

_“As soon as we get to a few feet away from the ship, slam on the brakes and jump off. Use the Force so you don’t have to stop, just jump and start running.”_

_“Anakin…”_

_“It’s the only way, Master! You’re not the only one worried here!”_

He could hear the alarm in the Knight’s voice, so Obi-Wan decided to not press the issue further, and to hope beyond hope Anakin had **_some_** sort of plan prepared for what lay ahead.

The creatures were closing in on them.

The ship was clearly visible now, getting closer and closer with each second. Anakin pressed some buttons, and the boarding ramp began lowering itself. _“Get ready to jump!”_

Obi-Wan tensed, forcing all thoughts out of his mind except his survival instincts, letting his emotions wash over into the Force. He could still sense Anakin struggling with his anxiety, letting it cloud his thoughts. _“Anakin, stop thinking about the ‘what-ifs’ and focus on the present.”_

Anakin ignored the counsel, and instead laid on finger on the brakes of the speeder.

They were now 100 feet away. 70. 50. 20.

“Jump!”

What happened next could only be described as blurred chaos. Obi-Wan hit the brakes, and he felt himself get propelled through the air, tossed like a doll up and forward. He vaguely heard the sound of the two speeders crashing and exploding, but he was mainly struggling to keep his balance as he used the Force to land on his feet and immediately dash forward. He looked to his right quickly and spotted Anakin right by his side, and the two Jedi sprinted forward together, their movements synched perfectly.

The tumbled into the ship, and Obi-Wan focused on closing the ramp while Anakin flung himself into the cockpit. Obi-Wan pummeled the controls with his fist as the creatures had almost reached them. “Anakin, hurry!”

A mutant’s hand clutched the ship’s walls as the ramp was still closing.

Obi-Wan took out his lightsaber and sliced through bony fingers.

The engines started up, frying several of the monsters on the spot. More hands came scrabbling at the walls, struggling to get in through the last few inches of open space.

And suddenly, the ramp slammed upward, and sealed itself with a loud clang that made Obi-Wan jump. He turned to see Anakin standing behind him, hands outstretched, the Force humming around him. When he saw the opening was closed, he returned to the controls and hit the thrusters.

The _Twilight_ slowly lifted into the air, and Obi-Wan used this time to look out the windows and observe. He felt sick as he saw the hundreds of screeching, blood-thirsty animals all jumping and reaching up with claws and bloodshot eyes, all of them trying to reach the prey that was now flying out of their grasp. Anakin had a blank, void expression on his face, and when Obi-Wan finally turned away from the window to look at his companion, he grew concerned. “Anakin, are you okay?”

The younger Jedi didn’t reply; but his expression grew darker as he steered the ship eastward.

Obi-Wan was about to ask “Where are you going?”, but he managed to figure it out on his own. They were going to fly over some of the nearby cities, and see just how far the infection had gone. _Oh Force, please don’t…_ He couldn’t finish. He knew from his gut and his senses the epidemic was out of control on Christophsis.

When they passed over Genteel City, their fears were confirmed. From the air view, the deserted city looked similar to how Crystal had been, and the Jedi easily spotted a few mutants stumbling around the trash-filled streets. They went a little farther to the town of Allure, only to find the same thing

After going over five more villages, Obi-Wan let out a dismayed sigh. “It’s no use, Anakin. We can’t just fly around or we won’t have enough fuel to get back to Coruscant. I’ll contact the Council, and you activate the hyperdrive.”

The Knight had been disturbingly quiet the entire time, but he obediently turned the _Twilight_ out of the atmosphere. Obi-Wan activated the ship’s comm system…and was greeted with static. He tried again, and got a // _BUSY_ // signal. _Something’s wrong_. He tried again and again, but the Temple didn’t answer his calls.

“What’s wrong?” For the first time since Crystal City, Anakin spoke up.

Obi-Wan drummed his fingers against the dashboard, his other hand running along his beard, a sign he was anxious and nervous. “The Council isn’t answering my calls. I just keep getting the busy signal.”

A flicker in Anakin’s eyes sparked, and quickly, the young Jedi typed several commands into his B-Wing. “Ahsoka, come in,” he spoke into the microphone. Nothing. “Ahsoka, this is Anakin. Respond.” Static, and then the beeping // _BUSY_ //

“Damn it!” Frustrated, Anakin slammed his fist down on the kriffing panel and then leaned back in his seat. Obi-Wan could feel anger and concern coming off him in waves.

“Anakin, try to calm down.” He himself was in a near-panic, but he was trying to let his emotions flow into the Force.

“Calm down?” Anakin wheeled on his old Master, eyes flashing.

_Oh no._

“How can you expect me to calm down, Master?!” The dam that had been holding his emotions in check came crashing down, nearly overwhelming the older man as Anakin began venting his frustration. “You saw it! You saw what had happened to Christophsis! And this happened in a matter of a few days! We saw over five cities, and they were all destroyed! All overrun by those monsters! And the Council and the Senate have done **_nothing_**! Nothing at all! Yet you have the kriffing nerve to tell me to calm down?!”

Obi-Wan was used to these outbursts, and did what he always did: remain silent and wait for his young partner to finish ranting so Obi-Wan could remind him about controlling emotions and keeping a cool head. But it was harder this time, because Kenobi’s own fears were threatening to overtake him.

“What if this thing spreads, Master? What if every single planet turns into a wasteland just like Christophsis? This could be an apocalypse!”

Obi-Wan crossed his arms, constantly reminding himself to stay quiet and calm, and the eventually, Anakin would follow his lead and compose himself. But the word **_apocalypse_** made him tense.

“The entire galaxy is at risk of becoming one giant horde of flesh-feasting monsters! But no one would listen to us! Not even the Chancellor! The Council turned their backs, the Senate shook their heads! Everything is threatening to fall apart, and soon the entire galaxy will be no better than the damn wreckage of my dreams, the virus will spread and wipe out every single living thing and then Death will…” Suddenly, Anakin shut up, and winced visibly. _The wreckage of my dreams._ He obviously hadn’t meant to say that.

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened, and his silent-demeanor shattered. “Your dreams? Anakin, is this what this is all about? You dreamt about this?”

Anakin turned in his chair and crossed his arms stiffly, not looking at his mentor. Obi-Wan got up and stood next to him, frowning down at his old Padawan. “This was what your nightmares were about.” No question there – just a statement of a fact.

Anakin inhaled sharply, and then nodded slowly. “The nightmares I mentioned before… I saw Christophsis, just like that. I hadn’t remembered until I saw the mutants… I knew this was going to happen, Master. And I didn’t do anything about it.”

“You can’t blame yourself for what’s happened, Anakin.”

“But I saw it, Master!” Anakin stood up and faced the older man – standing a good inch or so taller than him, he looked down at him with fiery but hurt eyes. “I saw the monsters, the destruction… And I kept it to myself. And now look at what’s happening!” Once again, his fist came slamming down against the controls. “I could’ve done something!”

His former apprentice was an emotional person, blaming himself for every flaw in battle, every casualty, any loss. Obi-Wan could feel the torment inside of his friend, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. _I should have paid more attention to his nightmares. I’m the fool here_. “You had no idea this was going to happen. You can’t blame yourself.”

“I can and I am.”

He was using that tone of voice Obi-Wan recognized as unwavering and unmoving. Anakin was going to be stubborn about this, so he moved over and sat back down.

Seven hours. That’s how long it took for them to get back to Coruscant. It’s also the amount of time it took for disaster to strike the heart of the galaxy, the core of the Republic.

When Anakin and Obi-Wan finally exited lightspeed, their hearts jumped into their throat as they were immediately caught in a tractor beam and forced to stop in mid-space. A large security station had been positioned around the planet, and moments later, the _Twilight_ ’s comm began beeping. A voice followed //This is a restricted area. State your name, ID, and business.//

 _Restricted_? Anakin hit the REPLY button. “This is General Anakin Skywalker of the Galactic Republic. I’m here with General Obi-Wan Kenobi. ID codes are 1914876 and 18277.  What is going on?”

//We are confirming your statements. Please hold.//

“Wait, don’t put us on hold! I want an explanation!” Anakin shot the ‘Negotiator’ a look requesting help.

Obi-Wan nodded, then leaned over the microphone. “This is General Kenobi. Can you tell us what is going on at least? We were on Coruscant no less than nine hours ago. What’s happened?”

A pause on the end, some mumbling, and then the droid’s voice replied //You’re ID’s check out. A warning, Generals: This is now a highly contaminated area. Any contact with the surface will result in a high risk of being infected.”

“Infected? What…” _No. No, no, no…_ This couldn’t have happened! Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, and seeing the boy’s pale face, he knew it **_did_ ** happen. The worst, possible scenario.

The virus had hit Coruscant.


	6. First Coruscant

_The virus had reached Coruscant._

It was the only explanation for the quarantine, the security, the feeling of pure horror that buzzed through the Force.

Anakin immediately pushed the throttle to full speed so that the _Twilight_ was speeding towards Coruscant as fast as possible. Obi-Wan was still stunned at the new revelation, and could only watch as his partner slipped into near madness from panic.

When they entered the atmosphere of the magnificent planet, both Jedi’s eyes widened and their blood ran ice cold.

Police hovercrafts were **_everywhere_**. It was obvious that the entire planet was in a state of horror, there was an entire line of ships struggling to get out of the atmosphere while security tried checking everyone attempting at keeping everything is some sort of the order. Flames could be seen in the Underworld. _They’re trying to burn out the disease_ , Obi-Wan thought grimly, taking a deep breath so that he finally found his voice. “Anakin, we have to get to the Temple.”

“I know. I’m already taking us there.” The younger man’s voice was shaking, and Obi-Wan could sense the distress coming off him in violent waves, a tsunami crashing through the Force. “Anakin, I know how you are feeling right now, but we **_must_** remain calm if we’re to stop this thing before it gets any farther.”

Anakin nodded quickly. “I know, Master.”

“They may have it under control.”

It was a fruitless suggestion. And they both knew it.

Anakin shook his head, lowering his eyes as he gripped the steering controls. “I can’t gain contact with Ahsoka or…” He wanted to say “Padme”, but stopped himself. It didn’t end the heavy weight that crippled his breathing or his speeding heart, though. _Oh please, let them be alright_. Obi-Wan, Padme, and Ahsoka were the three people that he had sworn to give his life for, despite the Code against attachments. _Please Force…_

“I’m sure she’s alright, Anakin.” Obi-Wan truly wanted to believe his own words, he wanted to **_so badly_**.

The _Twilight_ flew over to where the Jedi Temple seemed to be just as bad as the rest of Coruscant. Ships were packed tightly around it, and it seemed that the main hanger had been opened as a public area to help people get off-world. Moving figures could be seen trafficking inside, and Anakin quickly found a place to land the ship. Both Jedi were out of their seats a quarter-second later.

As they burst from the ship and ran towards the Temple entrance, their quick walks turned into a desperate run. They were **_flying_** over the concrete pavement, using the Force to help aid their speed. They needed answers, explanations… Anakin wanted his Padawan, Obi-Wan wanted information.

They had been forced to park a quarter mile away, so as they ran, Obi-Wan had time to look around in disbelief. The sound of sirens and faint explosions filled the air, along with a musty, death-filled stench. _Nine hours – this all happened in nine hours!_ He paused for a split second to glance downwards to the street level, and noticed it was completely abandoned. No one was here, and Obi-Wan guessed they were all part of the mob that was either in the Temple or at one of the stations, trying to get away from the terror that must be contaminating the Underworld. That was where he assumed the virus had struck first, from the look of things.

_What happened?_

Who else had been infected? Only the Jon Doe? Than how had it spread?

They practically broke down the large Temple doors as they entered. Immediately, they noticed the eerie difference.

The silence.

Not a soul was anywhere in the front halls, which were unusual. “They must be near the back,” Obi-Wan panted. “Because I **_saw_** people in here. They’re probably near the hangers.”

Anakin nodded, also trying to catch his breath. “Alright – there are two ways to get back there. I’ll take the right corridor, you go through the Halls of Healing. We need to find **_someone_**.”

“Okay.”

The two friends split up, and Anakin forced his trembling legs back into a run as he tore through various hallways, trying to reach the back. He honed into his senses… Yes, he could sense beings inside the Temple, but so far he had physically seen no one.

However, as he ran closer and closer to the hangers, he began picking out the noises of shouting, protesting, and lots of banging. The sounds grew louder until his ears were filled with the sound of a rioting throng. As he entered the first hanger, he found himself face to face with a horde of angry, panicked people, the citizens of Coruscant all screaming at the top of their lungs. He spotted Master Windu standing on top of a speeder, trying to calm everyone down in vain. Clone troopers were positioned everywhere around the hanger, and Anakin noticed several of the ships were already starting to fly out.

He just stared at the scene before finding Jason, standing in a corner of the room, typing something on a data-pad. “Jason! Over here! Jason!”

The red-headed Jedi looked up to see his friend, eyes wide. “Anakin?!” He immediately forced his way through the crowd and over to them.

The two met each other in the hall just outside of the hanger. “Jason, what’s happened? We just managed to get back…”

“Anakin.” Jason’s green eyes held a strange gleam… Fear. “That theory of yours about the virus and the mutants… You were right. Oh Force, you were right. Dr. Fuzio…”

The doctor’s name once again sent Anakin’s heart racing. “Wait – where’s Ahsoka?! She was with Fuzio doing the autopsy…”

Jason quickly placed a hand on the younger Jedi’s shoulder, trying to calm him down. “She’s safe, Anakin!” he cut him off. “She’s in the Underworld now, with Master Plo. They’re evacuating the lower levels. Thank the Force she wasn’t hurt. Neither was Inya, the doctor’s assistant.”

“What happened?”

“Ahsoka told me all three were working on the body when Fuzio seemed to have a dizzy spell. He shrugged it off as a headache, but upon Inya’s insistence, he went to lay down in the lounge area of the hospital for a while…”

Jason’s voice got lower as he continued. “…Ahsoka said about an hour later, she felt a disturbing presence in the Force. That’s when Inya told her that Fuzio had cut himself with a piece of the Jon Doe’s bone. He’d disinfected it; but Ahsoka, thank the Force, knew better. She had Inya bar the door, just as Fuzio came screaming and stumbling down the hall, his skin all grey and his eyes **_bleeding_** …”

“…There were screams and chaos as Fuzio attacked his secretary, and then some fellow doctors. Ahsoka helped Inya climb out the window, and then they contacted the police. But by the time they had arrived… The infected had managed to escape the hospital and invade the Underworld. The disease spread fast, faster than we had first anticipated.”

Anakin felt a chill run up his spine. “Do you know how the infection spreads?”

Jason nodded gravely. “A bite. Ahsoka said Fuzio bit his secretary on the neck, and about ten minutes later, she was one of… them.”

The entire Temple rocked as an explosion could be seen from the Underworld level 2. Sirens blared.

**xXx DATE: 5/10/45876 (Five Months Later) xXx**

_Anakin sat down next to Jason, who was just switching off his comlink. “Still doing those logs?”_

_Jason replied with a nod, and then looked out towards the horizon. His eyes landed on the silhouette of the Temple, and he frowned. “People need **some way** to know what happened here.”_

_Anakin drew his knees to the chest, and shivered slightly despite the warm breeze that blew through Coruscant. From their position on the rooftop of Standards hospital, they could see a good portion of the once majestic planet._

_“Do you think they’re still okay?” the Knight spoke up finally, voice just a whisper. “On Naboo, I mean. Think the virus still hasn’t reached there?”_

_“I think we’d feel it if something had happened,” Jason replied slowly._

_“I wish we had some way of contacting them.”_

_A brief pause. “We all do.”_

_“Think we’ll ever find a real cure for this thing?”_

_Jason took his time thinking of a true but not dismaying reply. “We have to keep hoping. If we lose hope in the cure and in Naboo… then we lose our last reasons to live.”_

**xXx DATE: 1/01/45876 (Four Months Earlier) xXx**

//Everyone, please keep in single file! Any disorderly conduct will not be tolerated, and will be dealt severe consequences! Single file! Be prepared to either show a written evaluation from medical staff, or undergo a physical exam!//

The mechanical voice rang across the landing docks thanks to an advanced speaker and security system that had been rigged up. Thousands of civilians were crowded into that one tiny space port, hoping to get off world before the infection reached the surface of Coruscant.

The Underworld was being torn apart by the savage mutants (nicknamed mutts by the media). Because that part of the planet was lost anyway, fires were being set all over in hopes of controlling the virus’s contamination rate.

It wasn’t working.

Every once in a while a person would show up, trying to sneak off world; and then they would be caught with an infected wound or a small bite in their flesh. Those people would immediately be hauled into gunships, screaming and kicking before being flown off to ‘be dealt with’.

You never saw those people again.

Rumors spread. “The Republic caused the virus!” or “They’re using the mutants as experiments for super soldier clones!” Typical tabloid drab. But that didn’t mean they went unnoticed. For a panicked people, any information was soaked up like water to a dry sponge – and the Council and Senate were faced with angry mobs of scared citizens looking for answers.

Chancellor Palpatine and most of the Senate had been the first to be evacuated, along with most of the Jedi Council. Security droids were really the only one’s keeping full, blown-out terror. Clones had gone MIA and AWOL. No nearby planets were willing to offer assistance out of fear of the virus coming to their own homes.

The evacuation lasted three weeks. By the time New Year rolled around, it was taking every ship, weapon, and fighting force available to keep the mutts from reaching the last few available space ports.

Coruscant was dead. No. Coruscant was home for the **_un_** dead, which was what a few thought the mutants were. Zombies.

Anakin Skywalker had seen many horrific things during his career as a Jedi; but never had he witnessed the destruction of an entire planet, all at once. He saw a skyscraper crash to the ground one dusk, watched the entire thing get overrun with those creatures before bombers blew the base of the thing. It was like it was in the holo-vids, with the special effects and digital editing.

But it wasn’t a movie. It was his home, which was gone now, probably forever.

_It took 9 hours for this entire planet to be wiped out._

The nightmares were ripping sleep away from his exhausted mind. More vivid, more traumatizing. Mostly about the virus, but Death and her chilling smile was still there, in the darkest corners of his mind. Laughing at him.

_“You can’t stop me, Chosen One.”_

He couldn’t. He couldn’t stop any of it.

What was the point of being the Chosen One then?

There were very few Jedi still on world. Obi-Wan, himself, Ahsoka, Windu, and one or two Knights. All the others had left with the citizens to help find them new homes and continue the research on the infection. So far, a cure seemed like nothing more than a distant, impossible dream. The virus was spreading too fast, too far.

_At least Padme’s safe._

**xXx DATE: 12/25/45875 (One Week Earlier) xXx**

_“Anakin, come with me.”_

_The pretty brunette senator clung to her (secret) lover, her hands clutching his sleeves as he held her close._

_“I can’t,” he said regretfully. Oh, how he wished he could just run away with her, away from the war and this new disease and everything that threatened their love… “I have to stay with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. We have to oversee the evacuation.”_

_Tears began spilling from her eyes, and she suddenly flung herself into his embrace, sobbing. Anakin stared at her with wide-eyes as he comfortingly stroked her hair. “Padme, what’s wrong? I’ll be okay, I’ll leave as soon as the evacuation is over… Padme, please stop crying. You’re trembling, Padme, talk to me, please!”_

_“I-I can’t lose you, not now, not to this **thing** ,” the Naboo senator stammered between sobs. “Oh, please come away with us, Anakin! Don’t stay here! It’s too dangerous, the infection…”_

_“Wait.” Slowly, gently, he pushed her away so he could stare into her chocolate satin eyes with a confused mask. “Us? Padme…”_

_She looked up at him, and hung her head. “I need you Anakin. I need you more than ever…”_

_“…Ani, I’m pregnant.”_

**xXx DATE: 1/01/45876 (One Week Later) xXx**

“Anakin, come on…”

The young Hero with No Fear looked up to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway of the small police station, the dim lighting sending shadows across the bearded Jedi’s face. Kenobi’s gray eyes seemed almost black with the growing darkness.

“…it’s time to go.”

It was time to leave Coruscant.

Anakin nodded slowly, sighing quietly to himself. The station was abandoned, just like all the other buildings. He could still hear the explosions and screams, but at least they were minimal, and there was an eerie emptiness. But eerie emptiness was better than the desperate throngs outside.

Obi-Wan walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Ahsoka’s saving us rooms on one of the ships,” he added. “We should leave now, before…” He didn’t finish – he didn’t have to. There had already been countless cases with mutants sneaking onto ships, or the pilot’s going too fast and killing all on board by crashing the kriffing thing.

Anakin got up, and slowly followed his partner out of the station.

The crowds were still there, but they had been reduced to a rather small handful of people still waiting for a ship to be available, clutching their medical approval papers with their life. Anakin only had to turn his head to the right, and he could see past the ray shields into the quarantined part of Coruscant. The streets seemed empty; but everyone now knew that if one merely took a single step past the border, the creatures would come pouring out of buildings and sewers and anything big enough to hold them.

He quickly looked away.

They saw several gunships up ahead, and Obi-Wan led his younger friend through the mob, towards the one he knew Ahsoka would be on.

Suddenly, a security officer stepped in front of them, blocking their path. “Ship #756 is full, sirs. Please step away.”

“What do you mean full?” Immediately, anger and anxiety flashed in Anakin’s eyes. “My Padawan is on that ship!”

“Good for her.” The reply was dry and void. “Step away.”

Anakin was about to snap when Obi-Wan calmly intervened. “We’ll go to the next ship, then, sir. Thank you.” Before anything else could be said, the Negotiator led his former apprentice away from the scene.

As soon as they were a good distance away, Anakin turned on the older man. “What are you doing? Ahsoka…”

“Is safe, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said quietly. “She’s on the ship, which means she’s safe. We’ll just go to the next ship and we’ll choose a rendezvous point. Besides, you could always comm…”

Just then, Anakin’s comlink began blinking, as if on cue. Then, Ahsoka’s voice came through the speaker. “Master?”

“Snips.” Anakin looked utterly relieved, as if just hearing her voice could dim any worries he’d had about her. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She sounded tired, but they all were. Anakin couldn’t deny he himself was exhausted, and Obi-Wan seemed much… older. “I couldn’t hold the seats any longer,” she continued. “Sorry. Can you find another ship?”

Obi-Wan answered that question. “Yes. In fact, here we are.”

It was a rather large gunship, and after showing they were Republic generals and Jedi, the duo was able to easily get seats. Just in time. The ship’s doors were sealed and locked, and it began lifting into the air.

Ahsoka’s ship took off at the same time. Anakin looked out the window to see the people still on the ground, still hoping for a ride off world. _Will they be able to get off_?

The question rolled around in his mind just before a slithering voice broke his thoughts.

“You can’t stop me, Chosen One.”

Anakin’s eyes widened, and he bolted upright in the small passengers seat, looking around frantically. Death’s hissing tone lingered in his mind like a bad taste to his mouth.

Obi-Wan watched him, concerned. “Anakin? What’s wrong?”

“I could’ve sworn I heard someone say…”

Suddenly, both Jedi were **_slammed_** with a heaviness in the Force, a feeling of dread worse than all the others they had felt before. Obi-Wan winced; but Anakin’s natural instincts kicked in, and he jumped to his feet, looking out the window.

At first he saw nothing but the thick clouds of Coruscant’s atmosphere; but slowly, painfully slowly, he made out the shape of Ahsoka’s ship. It was rocking. Violently **_rocking_**.

And at the same time, the young Padawan’s voice came through the comlink in a **_scream_**. _‘Master! Master, oh Force, Master!!’_

“Ahsoka!” Anakin lifted the comm to his mouth, never tearing his eyes away from the ship. Obi-Wan was by his side now, and several other people on board were mumbling and looking around, confused. “Ahsoka, what’s…”

_‘Oh Force, Master, I’m so sorry! I’m so, so sorry! Anakin!!’_

_Anakin_?

Was she **_crying_**??

“Ahsoka, what the hell is going on?!” he roared into the comm.

 _‘I let my guard down, I was sloppy… Holy Force, Master, the pilot’s a mutt! He just attacked the copilot, they’re breaking out of the cockpit…’_ The Padawan was sobbing and screaming. _‘Anakin, Anakin, I’m sorry! I should’ve paid closer attention…’_

Anakin couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. All he could do was stare as the ship flying next to his own as his ears were filled with the horror-fest going on inside. He could just make out a bloody handprint on the windows…

He couldn’t do anything.

He couldn’t do a damn thing!

Nothing.

_Oh Force…_

His heart was going to burst from his chest.

Everyone else in the ship had heard Ahsoka, and they were all standing and crying out as they could make out the shapes of people running and fighting on board. Ahsoka activated her lightsabers… There! Anakin could see the flashes of green.

“Ahsoka.” His voice sounded weird. He wanted to scream, but all he could do was whisper hoarsely. “Ahsoka…”

 _‘Anakin, I have a clear path to the cockpit! I’m…I’m…’_ Panting. _‘… I’m in! I’ve locked the door! Anakin, I-I have t-to land this thing on Coruscant. I can’t let these things reach any other systems…’_  

He found his voice. “No! Ahsoka, just get the ship under control! We’ll come and get you…”

 _‘No.’_ The crying had died down, she sounded more in control now. _‘Anakin, the engines are fried. So are the controls. If I cut all power to the thrusters we can… we can…’ We can fall and crash back onto Coruscant_ , was what she wanted to say. Anakin got the message.

“Ahsoka, no!”

But he could already see the blue light of the engines fade away. The ship started slowly falling back towards the surface.

 _Oh Force, please not her._ _No! No, no, no, no, NO!!!!_ “Ahsoka!”

 _‘Master.’_ Ahsoka’s voice sounded so young. Oh Force, she was so young! A child! She couldn’t die! Call it selfish, he didn’t care.

He couldn’t let her go.

But despite her age, she sounded a bit older as she continued, _‘Thanks for everything you’ve done for me.’ Thanks for being my brother_ , was added silently in her mind.

 _‘No, no, no, Ahsoka!_ _Please_ _…’_ He couldn’t see the ship anymore. He heard Obi-Wan talking in the background, but was too focused on his Padawan… **_sister_** … to care about what he was saying.

Ahsoka’s ship caught on fire. She sat down in the pilot’s seat, despite the blood, and brushed away several silent tears only to have twice as many take their place. “Anakin, I…” She wanted to tell him so much.

Anakin leaned his head against the window, very close to hyperventilating. He felt her presence in the Force, so young and full of life. _9 hours! All this in 9 damn hours!_ Tears began falling.

Then, he heard her voice.

_‘I love you, Skyguy.’_

A world-shattering crash came two seconds later.

The bond snapped.

Anakin dropped to his knees.

There were small screams from the others in the ship.

Ahsoka’s presence was gone.

And three days later, mutants appeared on Shili, Tatooine, and Hoth.


	7. MAV and the Plan

**DATE: 4/19/45876 (Four months since Coruscant's infection) (One month since every other planet except for Naboo was pronounced uninhabitable)**

The virus spread like a wildfire, uncontrollable. Unpredictable. Destroying everything, and everyone, in its wake.

But even then, nothing can compare to how fast  ** _fear_  **spreads.

Christophsis and Coruscant were the first two to fall. One week later, three other planets had mutants ravaging their surfaces. Add another week, and the Inner Core and Outer Rim were completely devastated, as the virus began traveling from the edges of the galaxy inward, towards the more populated systems. Millions died, but  ** _billion_** _s_  were transformed into mutts; zombie-like creatures mutated by the virus.

The survivors became fewer and fewer in number. Eventually, they were forced to Naboo. And there they had remained, hiding in that tiny corner of the galaxy while demented monsters ruled the rest of their universe.

It was an apocalypse that seemed crazy enough to pass as a strange fairy tale or a scary holo-vid.

Only it wasn't fake. It was reality.

Naboo was the galaxy's last safe haven. Maybe a million or so people all crowded onto one small planet, cowering without hope. Just waiting for MAV (mutating aggravating virus) to reach them and turn them into more of those creatures that plagued the galaxy.

"My mommy said monsters weren't real," one little Twi'lek girl whimpered from the cot where she lay. "Why did she lie to me?"

Sitting right next to her, Padme Amidala held a small, blue-skinned hand as she whispered, "Most of the time it isn't true. I don't think your mother would lie to you on purpose. But your safe here, Brya. Now, go to sleep. I've got some business to attend to."

The brunette stood up and walked out of the large hut which was serving as one of the several 'orphanages', places for children whose parents were either missing or turned into one of… them. Padme liked working with the kids – especially when she thought of the growing bump forming in her abdomen. One hand placed protectively over her unborn child, she walked through the Virado square to the capitol building, which was one of the ten security headquarters set up across the planet.

She entered after flashing her ID pass, and then continued to the main war room. It was already filled with several people, mostly military commanders and scientists. The Jedi Council was positioned in the nearby city of Theed; but a few, like Obi-Wan and Plo Koon, were with them. Her eyes immediately searched for a certain Knight. She found him quickly – Anakin was with his mentor near the holo-projectors, looking over a bunch of charts depicting how fast the virus had spread on each system.

She stared at him for a few moments. He looked so tired, so dismayed. Ahsoka's death had been traumatizing for him… He was working his way out of the depression, but it was slow.

Obi-Wan was next to his friend's side, helping him to calculate times and work out the proper numbers. After a few more moments, Obi-Wan happened to look up, and then he flashed her a weary smile.

That made her approach them. She noticed a few disapproving glares for a handful of people. Too bad for them. She kept one hand on her stomach, and as soon as she reached Anakin, she flung herself into his arms and kissed him.

Their marriage had been discovered perhaps three weeks after Coruscant's fall. A huge debate had followed, the Jedi Council immediately wanting to expel Skywalker, many of the senators wanting Amidala out of office. Eventually, though, the arguments had ceased without any real solution, because MAV was spreading too fast, and soon enough, there was no Republic. No Clone War. No Separatists. Everything was just… gone. And even though there were the Jedi still, the Temple was long gone, and their numbers had dwindled to a mere handful. The Code didn't matter anymore, Obi-Wad had argued. Now, it was all about survival.

Anakin and Padme kept their positions, and were free to be open with their love.

For now.

Anakin returned the gentle embrace, and then backed away a bit. "How are the children doing?" His voice was very quiet. Padme looked up into the eyes, and noted how they weren't even the bright blue that had put Nubian skies to shame – they had dimmed so much, almost a grey color.

"They're okay," she replied, equally soft, keeping her voice steady.

Her mind flashed back to a few months ago, Anakin with his arms wrapped around him while both of them cried together. "They're going to take her away from me today," he had whispered in her ear, which had triggered the tears. The long hours with the surviving Soul Healers had done her husband good, when he had gone into denial about Ahsoka's death, despite the fact that he  ** _knew_**  she was dead. No one could sense her, and no one could have survived that crash. At one point, he'd sworn he'd seen her in a crowd. That was when Obi-Wan had begun bringing him to the Healers, and slowly, the slight dementia faded away. The memories of his Padawan were now fogged and cracked, with several gaps. It had torn him apart, but he was better now.

She hoped.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat, and the couple turned to see him pointing to a small hologram that was projecting several codes and charts. "Anakin and I were just going over Inya's notes on MAV. Trying to find weaknesses in the DNA structure of the virus and such."

Padme's heart skipped a beat. "And did you…?"

"No." Obi-Wan cut her off, not wanting to raise any hopes. "Not yet. We have confirmed that the virus is 'transported' from the saliva glands in a mutt's mouth into an open wound – thus, the biting."

"But you still haven't found a vaccine or anything." Not a question.

"No."

Padme placed her head in her palm, sighing quietly. When she looked up, both Jedi were staring at her sadly. She composed herself. "What are we supposed to do then? Keep searching on computers and paperwork hoping for a miracle that is clear will never come?"

At those words, both men visibly tensed – and that did not go unnoticed by Padme. "What? What is it?" She stared at her husband.

Anakin's eyes were locked onto the ground, and Obi-Wan was shifting uncomfortably. She narrowed her eyes. "What is it already?"

Obi-Wan finally had to say something. "The Jedi Council and some military officers… they've… they're working on a plan that may provide a cure."

Padme stiffened. "What?"

Finally, Anakin raised his eyes to look at his lover. His voice was still quiet, but it provided answers. "They're going to send a team back to Coruscant to try and find a cure there."

No. Way.

"They can't do that!" was her first reaction. "Sending anybody there would be suicide? Are they crazy?!"

"Padme, it's the only way…"

"Who would even be willing to go back to that hell-hole?"

There was a lapse of silence.

No.  ** _Way_** _._

Immediately, she felt a chill run through her veins. Anakin was giving her this sad, regretful look.  _Of Force, no…_  "No. No, no, no, no, no, no! Anakin…!"

"I have to do it!" he blurted out finally. "Padme, I'm the only one…"

"No, Anakin!" She didn't care that the entire room was staring at them. The Council and police had devised this scheme of sending a team – with  ** _her husband_**  – on it to apocalyptic Coruscant behind her back. "You're not going! You  ** _can't_**! I need you here!"

Her words sounded a bit selfish, but she didn't care about that either at the moment. She wanted Anakin on Naboo, with her, away from MAV and the mutts, helping her and being with her when their child was to be born.

"Padme, I'll be going with him…"

Obi-Wan too? "No, you can't go, you can't! I won't let you, I-I…" Tears began falling.  _Damn pregnancy hormones_. She was on the verge of breaking down. She didn't want to do that, not in the headquarters. She turned around and ran.

"Padme!" Immediately, Anakin bolted after her, while Obi-Wan remained behind, staring at the ground. "Padme, wait! Stop!"

She didn't stop, though; at least, not until she was a good distance out to the Virado borders. There was a little patch in the forest there, near a small, uncharted lake. She loved that place, and once she reached it, she finally felt free to shatter and sob.

Anakin was never so grateful for his Jedi tracking skills as he easily found her crying on the ground near the crystal blue lake. He knelt down next to her, and she cried into his shoulder as he held her and shushed her. "Padme," he whispered quietly. "It'll all be alright. It'll be okay."

She looked up at him with watery eyes, shimmering with the rays of light that managed to break through the leafy overhang. "Why do  ** _you_**  have to go? Why not someone else, the Council, the military, some clones…"

"Angel." He held her shoulders gently but firmly, looking right into her eyes. "Do you remember last year, before all this happened… Do you remember how I used to leave the apartment at night, and when you asked what was wrong, I told you I just couldn't sleep. I said it was nothing. Do you remember?"

She did. "Yes."

He lowered his eyes to the blades of dark green grass that was tinted with the random leaf and flower. "I lied…"

"…I said nothing was wrong, but there was. I was having nightmares, constantly. I kept dreaming of an apocalypse, a genocide, but I kept them mostly to myself."

She was beginning to understand. "You dreamt about… about  ** _this_**?"

He nodded, as if ashamed. She didn't want to see him so full of self-blame – she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the forehead. He spoke up again. "Padme, the dreams are still going on. At first they were about Ahsoka, and her death. But now they've gone back to being about the virus. I keep having the same dream, about a group of people on Coruscant researching for cure. Obi-Wan and I are on that team, and so is Jason and Inya and several others. And I keep having the feeling that if I ignore this one like I ignored the others…" He couldn't finish. He bowed his head and rested it on her own forward, so that they were both facing each other with their noses just barely touching.

"I have to go, Padme. These visions may be the only thing that will help us survive this thing. If I don't, it'll only be a matter of time before MAV reaches Naboo."

His words made sense, a very good point. Silent tears rolled down her delicate cheeks, dampening her gentle curls that stuck to her face as she said, "And what if the dreams are wrong? What if you go to Coruscant and can't find a way to get back? What if your trapped there, or infected by one of those monsters? Ani, what if your  ** _killed_**? I can't raise this baby alone!"

He kissed her, shushing her for a moment before turning away. "I promise, I'll a way back. You won't raise our child alone. We won't be able to return until we find a cure, but there  ** _will_** _be_  a return. You have to trust the Force that it'll keep us all safe."

"What do you mean, won't come back until…?"

"Angel, this virus is so contagious and deadly. The team will not be leaving Coruscant until we are sure we've found a solution. Naboo is the only safe haven left – we can't risk infecting it."

"What about comms or holo-disks or…?"

"All the power lines and grids are down, remember? Nothing will work outside of Naboo."

She started crying again. She couldn't lose him, she couldn't bear to lose him…

He wrapped his arms around her, rocking her as she wept. Should he tell her about the demonic nightmares, the ones about Death and her taunting? No. It would be too much for her to handle. MAV itself was enough to send anyone to an asylum after long… The suggestion that it may have been caused by supernatural demons would…

No. It was best not to tell her.

But he had to go to Coruscant with his team.

It was the only way.

The  ** _only way_**.

**xXx Date:** **5/06/45876 (One Month Later) xXx**

For the sake of everyone going, the plan wasn't put into actual effect for another month. By that time, everyone knew what the Jedi Council was strategizing and most of the common citizens were  ** _furious_**. The main argument was that sending anybody – even Jedi – back to that wasteland would be like marching a clone squadron into the heart of enemy territory without any weapons. They hardly had any real information on MAV, absolutely nothing to help them begin looking for a cure. Not to mention there were only a dozen or so going. Three Jedi (Anakin, Obi-Wan and Jason), Inya (who had been Dr. Fuzio's assistant), three military officers from Yaazix-5 (Ax, Dean, and Josh), a Naboo security guard (Karis), another scientist and doctor (Nathan and Lynn), and finally, a handful of clone troopers (including Captain Rex of the 501st).

The Council had asked only for volunteers. They hadn't forced anyone to go, didn't bribe or threaten. At least that part had been fair.

The day of departure was pluvial, dark clouds hanging in the Naboo skies, with a light drizzle dampening everything and everyone. The Theed square was filled with people, packed together to watch the departure of the Colony; that was what the team was being called. They would be using three Yaazix-5 military transports; they'd land on Coruscant, and remain there as long as it took to find a cure. Obi-Wan had been the one to suggest Standards hospital, since that was where Fuzio had first begun investigating MAV, and he might've left some research. Inya had quickly agreed.

Most of the surviving Jedi were present. Quinlan Vos had a torn, regretful expression as he shook hands with Kenobi – that only lasted a second before the yellow-tattooed ruffian pulled his friend into a quick embrace. "I should've volunteered," he whispered hoarsely. "I should be going with you. I can…"

"No, Quin." Obi-Wan cut the other man off, and pulled out of the crushing hug, offering him a weak smile. "There has to be  ** _somebody_**  left here when we find that cure and wipe this thing out."

Quinlan simply nodded.

Obi-Wan scanned the crowd that had gathered around the landing pad. True – the prospect of a dozen against millions of mutts chilled his blood. He could think of countless volunteers that would've gone if only they had survived the first few months of the outbreak: Bant, Ahsoka, Kit Fisto, Barriss Offee, Master Luminara…

He pushed those thoughts away.

"Please don't leave me." Over on the other side of the ships, hidden from the crowds and the others, Padme hung limp in her husband's arms as he tried to calm her down.

She had sobbed the entire night through, and had run out of tears. So she just let him rock her as she closed her weary eyes, leaning against his chest. Just being in his touch made her feel like nothing in the galaxy could harm her…

She wrapped her thin arms around his strong build. "Anakin…"

"Shh." He leaned his chin on the top of her hair, breathing in her perfume. It reminded him of a salty ocean, a white-sanded beach. He wasn't too fond of the sand, but the crystal turquoise water, so deep and refreshing…

"When I get back, I'll take you to the beach."

The statement sounded so out of place she pulled away to look in his eyes quizzically. She searched his face; and only found longing. He didn't want to leave her – he just had no choice. She knew that deep in her heart, even if she wanted to deny it.

The awkward suggestion sounded much better than her sobs or the goodbyes she had planned, so she replied with a quiet, "I like the beach." She sounded like a little girl again, and when she looked back up into his eyes, it was almost like looking at the small nine-year-old boy on the desert planet.

His lips twitched so that they formed a small smile. "I know. We'll have a picnic, on the sand."

"You hate the sand."

"I don't mind."

She actually laughed. Their conversation sounded so stupid, so, so stupid… He wasn't going to take her to the beach. He was going to Coruscant, not to return for what could be months. Years even, if they couldn't find a cure.

She flung herself back into his embrace. "It's a date, then," she choked out. He nodded slowly, closed his eyes, held her close. He could feel her heartbeat – it was soothing. Just knowing she was alive, and that she belonged to him and him alone.

Her head was on his chest – she heard his heart as well.

The two beats matched each other perfectly.

She started crying again.

After a while, Obi-Wan came around looking for them, and Anakin left to join the other Colony members. Padme managed to kiss him one last time, and then was ushered back into the crowd, where several of her friends came to support her. Bail Organa, a few Jedi, and some citizens… These were people that had been happy for her when they discovered her marriage to Anakin.

Her family was missing. They had been visiting cousins on Mandalore when MAV hit.

The Duchess Satine of Mandalore was MIA too.

Obi-Wan was still depressed about that fact; though he wouldn't show it. Of course he wouldn't.

The Colony members all stood in a line before the ships as Mace Windu reminded them about the dangers, related any facts and words of encouragement he could. He spoke more to Obi-Wan directly; but nobody minded at the moment.

Jason was standing next to Anakin, and shot the younger man a worried look. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered quietly. "Anakin, you don't have to…"

"Don't." Anakin's voice was just as quiet, but more firm. "I have to go. Just drop it, please."

Jason consented reluctantly, and tuned back to Windu.

"…Good luck to you all," the bald-headed Jedi was saying. "May the Force be with you."

Suddenly, a round of blue laser shots were fired into the air. The lasers soared into the clouds and disappeared. Padme guessed Naboo security had done that part.

Slowly, one by one, the members entered the three ships. One Jedi would be in each, and Anakin managed to catch a quick glimpse of Obi-Wan waving at him a bit before the bearded Jedi disappeared among his small group.

He wouldn't even be with Jason on the way there. Anakin was with Ax, Karis, and three rookie clone troopers on his ship. He didn't know any of them. He wouldn't see the others until they arrived on Coruscant – and that was only if they managed to land without any casualties. Standards hospital would need to be completely cleared out, and it was probably overflowing with those creatures.

He only managed to see a flash of Padme reaching out to him before the ship's heavy, ray-shielded door was sealed in place. It was a military ship, so there were no windows except in the cockpit. The ships weren't normal Republic cruisers – they were a bit cruder, less modern. The entire vessel rocked as the twin engines roared in the background. They were taking off.

Karis and one of the clones were piloting. Anakin didn't have any problem letting someone else fly for a change. He chose the seat all the way in the back, wedged into the darkest corner of the area, and sat down, drawing his knees to his chest. He could here Ax talking to the clones. "…gonna blow some mutt ass…!" the middle-aged soldier was exclaiming loudly.

Anakin blocked out the noise, the sight, using the Force to form a sort of shield around himself.

He was supposed to the Chosen One. The Hero with No Fear. The Unstoppable Warrior.

But that was back when the galaxy wasn't overrun with mutated creatures. Back when he'd been with his wife and thriving within the walls of the Jedi Temple.

Back when Ahsoka was his snippy little sister, when he'd gone on mission with Obi-Wan, laughing and joking. Before the nightmares, MAV, the feeling that his life was shattering into irreparable little pieces.

He was afraid.

Oh Force, suddenly he was so terribly afraid.

He felt alone.

He dropped his head onto his knees, wanting to just hide away. Cease to exist.

He never said goodbye to Padme.

_Oh Force…_

He was crouched in that dark little corner, on the verge of breaking down… That was when he felt it. The quiet little whisper in the Force, the soothing, calm, familiar presence.

_"It's going to be okay, Anakin"_

Obi-Wan.

_"I'm right here, Anakin"_

_"Master"_ He desperately reached and grabbed Obi-Wan presence, pulling the warm sensation around him, shrinking into its comfort.

Obi-Wan was in the other transport, with Josh, Derek, and two clones. He was in the back area, and quietly sent his friend soothing pulses through the Force, feeling the boy losing control of his emotions.

It was rare when Anakin allowed his inner pain to be felt through the Force, so Obi-Wan knew that his former apprentice was reaching his breaking point.

_"Everything's going to be okay"_

_"How can you say that?"_ was the bitter reply.  _"Nothing's okay? It won't be!"_

Obi-Wan was scared – he wasn't afraid to admit it. He was nervous, doubtful. He wasn't sure they would ever be returning, couldn't even guarantee they would survive the first few hours. So there was really nothing else he could tell the younger Jedi.

So instead, the two partners just held onto each other's Force-presences as the quietly whispered to each other through the energy field.

Padme looked up from where she was still standing in the Square, crying silently. The ships jumped to hyperspace, and then…

…they were gone.


	8. Welcome to Standards

_Everyone had originally believe that the Clone War was the worst thing that could happen to the galaxy – war **is**  horrible; but people's minds were too narrowed, too focused on the present to explore other possibilities. So when MAV arrived, no one was prepared._

_Absolutely no one._

_Christophsis was the first to be infected, though no one knew at the time. An entire city was being overrun by mutants, and people didn't find out until it was too late._

_Coruscant was next. **That**  was even worse, because billions had occupied that planet. Now? Nothing but those flesh-chomping creatures. Even the Jedi are near extinction._

_It continued like this for about five months, until every single planet except for Naboo was infected. Every single one of them. Unthinkable, right? It's true. Now we've got probably a million or so people, all huddling on this one planet, cowering in that little corner of the galaxy, just waiting to be the next victims of this kriffing disease. We've tried doing research, but we don't have enough information to even begin **thinking**  of a cure._

_It's these facts that have brought us to where we are now. Three military ships heading back to the ruins of Coruscant to attempt finding a cure. Living among those monsters so we can try discovering a vaccine._

_Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jason Dean. Inya. Ax. Karis Marie. Captain Rex. Kix. Lynn. Josh Kaller. Bennal Derek. Nathan Fox. Match. A few other clones._

_We're the Colony._

**DATE: 5/06/45876**

"Force, damn it, shoot them in the head!" Jason's voice screamed into the air, which was filled with the sounds of the other's shouts and the mutt's screeches.

Volleys of lasers began flying across the room, small, glowing blue pellets used in the Yaazix-5 military machine guns.

Anakin's lightsaber came to life, but before the young Jedi could move forward, Obi-Wan lunged forward and grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing, Master?"

"Use the guns," the bearded Jedi instructed swiftly. "Remember what happened earlier? Josh is right – we can't afford jumping into the middle of those things. The blasters are safer…"

Just then, the last of the barriers came crashing down, and the zombies came pouring in…

**xXx (15 Hours Earlier) xXx**

"Everybody up!"

The barking, sudden voice was enough to nearly send Obi-Wan reeling out of his seat, his Jedi instincts keeping him from crashing through the floor. He groaned, rubbing away the remaining sleep that weighed down his eyes.

The first thing he noticed once his vision was clear was the hot, yellow sunlight that streaking through the tiny little slits that passed as windows.  _Sunlight? But that would mean…_

His thought was finished by Derek calling out, "Wake up, you kriffing sausages! We're in atmosphere! We're in Coruscant's atmosphere! Up and at 'em, time to kick mutt butt!"

Obi-Wan was fully awake one second later, as were the rest of his company. Now that his senses were fully operational, he could hear the engine's had been reduced to a low humming – they were hovering in the atmosphere. Rex was going over his twin pistols, Derek striding around waking up the others. Obi-Wan guessed Josh was still piloting, since he didn't see him in the seating hold.

Suddenly, there was a heavy, brown/green uniform being dropped onto his lap, along with a large shotgun and plenty of ammunition. Raising an eyebrow, the bearded Jedi looked up to see Derek looking at him with a similar stare.

"I really hope you weren't planning on running out there like that," the Yaazix-5 soldier stated. "Cause those mutts down there would chomp right through that like a hot knife through butter. This…" He patted the uniform as if it were a dog or something. "…is your life right now. Protection from bites is as good as a whole round of ammunition. Speaking of which, after you change, come back to me so I can give you a weapon. A  ** _real_**  weapon."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a bit offended at the brash trooper's nature, and frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by…"

"That lightsaber of yours is great, yeah, but what happens when you've got a hundred or so mutts running at you with their teeth bared and claws ready to rip right through your flesh? To use that sword you need to be in close range with the target. A firearm will allow you to blow off mutt by the dozen  ** _and_**  you can be several feet away, on the rooftop or hiding behind a clump of wreckage."

True points were in Derek's words, so Obi-Wan consented, and walked off to change in the small 'fresher.

"Prepare for synchronizing in five." Josh's voice poured from the speakers planted on the ceiling.

All three military transports were flying side-by-side, just inside Coruscant's dry, hot atmosphere. As he slipped out of his Jedi attire and into the heavy brown/green camouflage kakis and jacket Derek had given him, Obi-Wan noted the intense heat sinking into the ship from the outside.  _The weather controls was knocked out before the final evacuation_ , he remembered.  _Who knows what the planet is like now?_

They didn't have to wait long to find out. Once all ships were in position, still hovering in the sky, a large, circular door began sliding open in the side of the wall. Obi-Wan only managed to catch a quick glimpse of Coruscant before vacuum tunnels were implanted; but it was enough. A mixed shade of yellows and browns were down there. Hot, dry winds, a relentless sun that fried everything below its harsh gaze. Almost like a desert, except that instead of sand dunes, there were toppled buildings, ruins that went on and on for miles. And somewhere hidden in that destruction lay the creatures that were itching to sink their diseased-ridden fangs into his flesh.

Josh spoke up from the cockpit, "Synch completed in five… four… three… two… one…"

There was a loud clang, and all three transports were connected by the vacuum tunnels. This maneuver was common for Yaazix-5 military troopers, connecting all the ships so that everyone could have a face-to-face meeting before heading into battle.

Everyone still for a minute. Then, everyone began walking forward and meeting up in the center ship. It only took five seconds until Obi-Wan spotted Anakin and Jason, already together and standing in a corner of the ship. He walked over to them, and tried to conjure up a weak form of a smile. It didn't work.

Anakin's tired, desperate eyes locked onto his Master, and then he simply refused to let go. Obi-Wan moved over to his side and inconspicuously placed a hand on his arm, squeezing slightly. Anakin relaxed a bit at the encouraging touch, but not much.

They weren't the only anxious ones. Everyone was either burying their fear by attempting to appear completely nonchalant, while others poured over holo-maps or triple-checked their weapons. Obi-Wan observed each with intense observation, trying to get a firm reading on everyone. These people would be the Colony, his team, the ones he would spend the next days, weeks, months with. Everyone was dressed in the same Yaazix-5 military uniforms – courtesy of Derek, no doubt. He looked down, and saw Anakin was clinging to a large, sub-machine revolver blaster with an iron grip. He didn't have to ask before Anakin whispered, "Ax told me to use it. Said it was safer than the lightsabers."

They were in identical uniforms, but Obi-Wan also noticed the all three Jedi had a red line across their arms while the others didn't. Then he realized that the Jedi had a red band, and the medics had white. The clones were stripped of their shiny white armor, and their uniforms had a blue stripe. Everyone was loaded down with heavy ammunition, with various knives and smaller pistols on their utility belts.

Obi-Wan felt constricted. A Jedi's tunic was designed for maximum flexibility, covering the body with a light material that provided warmth but also ventilation for various weather. Being covered with so much armor, lugging around heavy blasters instead of his lightsaber felt strange to say the least.

Derek, who already seemed to be acting as unspoken-general of the team, was telling the others of Coruscant's main points, those that had never been to the planet. Obi-Wan knew each street and alley by heart – he had lived there for all thirty-three years of his life, after all; but he paid attention anyway. At least, until Anakin's quiet voice broke into his concentration.

"What do you think we'll find?"

Obi-Wan turned to see Jason had moved off to give them an opportunity to discuss things, and Anakin's stare was hard but seeking answers as he gazed at the older man.

"I don't know." He didn't want to admit it, but it was true. He wanted to say more, think of something encouraging to say or some good advice; but for once, the Negotiator was at a loss for words. Nothing he said would make the situation seem brighter, or fool Anakin into thinking everything would work out without major causalities or losses. So he remained silent, feeling the Force trembling around him from the worries and fears that seemed to melt right off the people surrounding him as he listened to Derek's voice.

"We are currently just yards away from Standards," the soldier was stating. "Our current mission is to take it over, and rid the halls of any mutts. Now there is an electric fence surrounding the building, but all power is currently offline. So for today, our plan is to land on the rooftop and take control of the first three levels. Create a barricade, spend the night. Tomorrow, we'll concentrate on restoring power and taking the rest of the building. Is that alright with you, generals?"

It took Obi-Wan a full minute before he realized Derek was staring right at him, waiting for an answer. Of course. Yaazix-5 had been neutral during the Clone War, but now this was a Republic operation. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Jason were the only Republic generals here, Obi-Wan a Jedi Master, so…

He had to answer.

Obi-Wan had really just been nodding to the entire plan, though, so he only replied with a, "Yes, that sounds good," before lapsing into silence again. He was impressed with Derek's abilities so far and wanted to see more.

The rest of the meeting consisted of everyone making sure they had a full two belts of laser bullets strapped onto them. Helmeted masks were slapped onto faces, guns checked then checked again. People were divided into two teams, one that would start going into the levels and clearing them, and the others would cover them. Obi-Wan knew that there had to be a Jedi on each team, and having the most experience, it would be better if he joined one group so that Anakin and Jason had each other. He made a move to go to the opposite party when he felt Anakin's panicked grip latch around his wrist.

"Don't." One word, but it spoke volumes for the younger Knight.

Obi-Wan turned, and saw that look had returned to Anakin's eyes. That haunted stare, filled with never-ending depths of pain, misery, and despair. He had that same look the weeks following Ahsoka's death.

"Anakin…" What could he say? Certainly things like "Everything will be okay" would be empty and meaningless. Anakin was depressed and desperate, but not stupid. So he said the next thing that came to his mind.

"…I need you to trust me."

Anakin's eyes flickered with a bit of that old honesty and trust that he had held as a Padawan, so Obi-Wan continued. "I need to be in the other group; but I need you to trust me. Do you?"

Anakin slowly nodded. "Yes."

Obi-Wan swallowed and then sighed shakily. "Okay then." He didn't know what else to do, what else to say, so he slowly turned and began walking away. He almost didn't catch the barely audible whisper that gently touched his ears as he left.

"Just don't die."

Three words, with a depth to them that only Obi-Wan would be able to discern.

 _Don't leave me alone, like Ahsoka did_.

And of course, there wasn't a moment's hesitation before Obi-Wan responded through the Force, even if Anakin's thought had been implied and not sent aloud.

_"Wouldn't dream of it"_

The two teams each took to their ships: #1 held Obi-Wan, Rex, Ax, Lynn, Josh, Kira, and two clones. #2 was Anakin, Jason, Inya, Rex, Nathan, Derek, and four of the remaining five clones. Kix, a clone commander, would pilot the last ship once the rooftop and three upper levels were clear.

"My team will lead frontal assault while Kenobi's guards our backs and deals with the rear problems," Derek exclaimed above the noises of the engines, which were beginning to fire up again. "Any objections? Cause this is where the bed-wetters leave the station."

No one spoke up. Not even a nodding or shaking of the head. Just the grave, stone expressions that engraved each one's faces. Derek mirrored that look a few minutes longer before nodding slowly.

"Then let's do this."

The vacuum tunnels were retracted, and the teams in their proper shuttles.

 _"May the Force be with you"_  Anakin heard Obi-Wan whisper gently through the Force, and Anakin managed to take slight comfort from the welcoming presence of his Master.

_"And with you. Be careful"_

_"I should be telling you that. You're the one running headlong into the blaze, as usual"_

Anakin almost smiled. Almost.  _"Always with the lectures"_

_"Just… as you said. Be careful"_

The mental conversation was interrupted when Jason came and sat down to Anakin, fumbling with his uniform's zipper. "Stay next to me at all times, okay?"

The younger Jedi raised an eyebrow, frown growing a bit deeper. "I can handle myself, you know."

Before Jason could reply, Nathan came over and sat himself down next to the two, playfully slapping Anakin on the back. "Ah, we don't doubt that kid. We just don't want you getting killed the first day. You're supposed to be our psychic or something, right?"

"What?"

"Dreams or whatnot? You can use your Force-thingy to get us through this? That's what I overheard some of the others on Naboo saying…"

"Nathan." Derek snapped at the scientist, and sat down near the three. "Have some respect will you and shut up?"

Nathan slipped away to sit somewhere else soon after, and Derek took that time to finally sigh and shake his head. "Sorry 'bout that," he said, looking at Anakin. "I don't know why that guy is going on this joyride."

Jason quirked an eyebrow. "You know him?"

Derek nodded, and exhaled once again. "Yep. Scientist on Yaazix-5; got into the field 'cause of his daddy." He shot the blonde thirty-one-year-old a dirty look before turning back to the Jedi. "Guy's a pain in my ass, that's for sure."

"A lot of people from your planet were so willing to volunteer for this whole Colony thing," Anakin commented quietly. "I respect that, but… why?"

At that, Derek smirked and leaned back, a grin appearing on his lips. "See, people on our planet have this thing about respect. Respect, honor, and sacrifice. I guess it's got something to do with the fact that we're a military system."

"So you came for the honor of it?" This time is was Jason that voiced the question.

The smile reappeared. "We came because we saw quite a show of all three traits when they were asking volunteers." His eyes twinkled at Anakin, but when the younger Jedi still remained confused, he laughed lightly. "You're a bit shallow for a Jedi, kid." His expression turned more serious as he added, "I know you've got a family. I saw your wife, and I saw her say goodbye. That… that took guts. Leaving them behind to come here. That took guts, and that's at least why  ** _I_**  volunteered."

A heavy silence followed, Anakin staring in disbelief for several minutes before he whispered the words, "Thank you."

Derek nodded, as if satisfied, and then ran a hand along his machine gun. "Just do what your red-headed friend suggested…" He winked at Jason. "…stick with him, and I've got both your backs."

Just as Jason and Anakin nodded, red lights began blinking around the ceiling, and then the announcement came.

"Get ready, guys, we're in position! Prepare for landing! Get ready!"

Suddenly, as everyone got to their feet, the round door slid open slowly; and everyone found themselves looking out at barren Coruscant, hovering a few feet above the rooftop of their target building – with about a dozen mutts already screeching and trying to jump up at them.

Anakin's ears seemed to burn as he felt Derek's arm rest of his shoulder and then his breath against the side of his face as he whispered, "This is it, kid…"

"…welcome to Standards."


	9. First Night

"Go, go, go!"

Ropes had been dropped, dangling just above the rooftop of Standards hospital. Immediately, the first two soldiers – Rex and another clone – had jumped out of the ship and were sliding down the ropes, automatic weapons unlocked. Within seconds, there was a thump as they landed on their feet, and then the sound of bullets filled the air, drowning out the noise of the engines.

"We're next, kid!" Derek and Anakin sprinted forward, and glanced down. The door leading onto the roof was wide open, and mutts were pouring out of it, obviously attracted to the noise. Rex and his partner were plowing them down, but more kept coming.

"C'mon!" Their movements synchronized, Anakin and Derek swung onto the ropes and began sliding down towards the chaos below. Anakin could now say he was truly grateful he had changed out of his Jedi uniform, because the military gloves were a definite aid and a time saver as they finished sliding and landed firmly on their feet.

Immediately, Anakin cocked his firearm, not even bothering to reach for his lightsaber once he saw the wave of mutts running at them. He hoisted the heavy machine rifle up to his shoulder and took aim at a group of about four creatures coming at him from the right. In the lead was what must've once been a young girl, maybe seven or eight-year-old, still clothed in tattered pajamas. Blood pouring from her eyes, small legs broken but still running with an animalistic need to bite and infect, snarling and growling…

"Kid, move it!" Anakin was snapped out of the stupor by Derek shoving him roughly to the left, and then taking out a mutt that had been prepared to rip open his ankle. The soldier then took out the little girl and the other three mutts before turning to him – not angry but concerned. "Don't think about them!" he said, having to shout above the noise of the battle. "Don't think about who they used to be, hear me? These things won't hesitate to rip you apart alive."

Anakin nodded quickly, and then Derek was grabbing his arm and they were both running towards the staircase. "We gotta start moving downwards!" he added. "You're gonna stick with me!"

The air was completely clogged with screeches, the roar of the ships' engines, the sound of constant gunfire. Anakin managed to look over his shoulder to see Jason and Rex shooting side-by-side, and Obi-Wan was just beginning to slide down his rope. The mutts kept coming, some even jumping from the nearby rooftops, but mostly coming from the doorway that he and Derek were now targeting. Jason shot him a look and then mouthed the words "I'll be right there."

A scream pierced the air, a howl that caused everyone to stop, paralyzed, and turn to see Match get dragged down by five or six mutts. "Go!" the clone screamed at the top of his lungs. "Get away!"

Match dragged himself painfully away from the rest of the team, covered in open bite wounds, and flicked the top of one of his grenades.

The explosion sent body parts flying into the air and blood splaying, both from Match and the mutts.

"Move, don't look back, just move!" Derek shoved Anakin forward, and the two proceeded on their path towards the doorway. Both their guns rattled and coughed up bullet after bullet, aiming mostly for the heads of the vicious creatures. "Get a charge ready!" Derek hollered, and Anakin used one hand to unclip a grenade from his military belt.

He let it fly, using the Force to send it straight into the center of the mob. Another explosion, more gore, more screams. Anakin spun around and used a round-house kick on a mutt that had gone after Derek's legs.

For a few split seconds, the doorway was clear and wide open. "Go! Now, go!" Derek and Anakin burst forward, several others behind them, covering their backs.

Inside the doorway was a metal grated staircase, similar to an indoor fire escape, leading down for about four levels before merging into a shining white staircase that was now stained with blood and grime.

Derek used the light on his rifle and swung the beam both up and down before motioning for the others to follow him. "Clear so far." He glanced downwards and noticed the twentieth floor door was open.  _That's where they're coming from._ "Alright, we're going in!"

Anakin close behind him, Derek charged in, quickly beginning to jump down the metal stairs two at a time.

Yellow eyes shot open, out of the darkest corners and the deepest shadows. The mutts began crawling and stumbling towards their next victims, snarling and baring their teeth, howling in starvation and anticipating the slaking of their bloody thirst.

Derek threw another charge before whipping out his machine gun again. "C'mon, let's move it!" he shouted above the noise to the others above. Anakin reached out to use the Force, then remembering that the mutts were immune to it, took out his own firearm and shot five down.

"Guys, look out!" Jason's voice hollered from above, and Derek turned to see a dozen or so mutts coming at them from behind. Seconds later, a bright azure blade swept down in front of them and cut several of the railings, causing them to collapse and block the wave of monsters. Anakin looked up and saw Obi-Wan call his laser sword back to him as he quickly motioned for them to move on.

Derek was the first to reach the open door, and hurled a smoke charge through it, wincing a bit at the chaotic screams that poured from the hall. Thick gray fog clouded everyone's visions to the point that they were blind except for the brief, painful flashes that made your head swim from the firearms.

Slowly, the screams died off, as did the smoke. Once the air was clear enough to see through easily, none of the team could suppress the gasps or groans that followed the sight they laid eyes upon.

Before them lay a long, dark hallway, the green and white tiles ugsome shades of black, gray, and blood red. Trash littered the ground, along with what seemed to be remains of old victims. The air was still and heavy with a pungent odor, thick as if it was trying to suffocate the newcomers.

Derek swallowed hard, and then motioned for everyone to start moving forward. He kept Anakin at his side, and Jason managed to make his way to the front so that he was directly behind the pair, quickly informing the younger Jedi that Obi-Wan was helping Ax and Rex watch their rear.

"Now remember, team…" Derek's voice was lower than a whisper but still seemed to echo through the halls. "…We're shutting that door right there. That means we're now trapped in here. If you think running with your tail between your legs back to the roof will work, it won't. You'll just be trapped, because by now, Kix will have pulled up the ropes to protect the ships. So I don't want any babies." Derek gave the signal, and slowly, Obi-Wan shut the twentieth floor door, trapping them in but also keeping other mutts out.

Derek nodded slowly, biting his lip. "Well then – let's go meet our neighbors."

They plowed through wave after wave of mutts, clearing each room one by room. Derek and Anakin mostly took the lead, with the others falling in the middle and Obi-Wan always taking out any stragglers that tried to come at them from the rear. The darkness was in the mutts favor, but each had a special UV light attached to their firearms, so they weren't completely blind. They shot down one after another, and after forty-five minutes, the group cleared the back staircase and moved on to nineteenth floor. An hour there, then Level Eighteen.

By now everyone was panting and sweating but still moving with a swiftness that only the adrenaline of survival and fear could provide. The air seemed to choke their lungs, filled with smells of decay and rotten things. The farther they went, the darker it seemed to get. The UV lights were now stinging the eyes, any efforts to be stealthy were now shoved out the door by everyone's coughs and gags. Twenty or so mutts came charging up the staircase at the sound of Lynn vomiting over the railing.

When Derek forced open the eighteenth door, everyone immediately began stumbling backwards as a thick fog started hammering them. Immediately, Anakin found himself on his knees, coughing uncontrollably, unable to find a clean breath as the smog surrounded them, carrying the unbearable stenches of mutt and deceased bodies along with other foul, unnamable things. He heard, somewhere in the back of his mind, what seemed like Karis's voice shouting above the hacking of the group, but he couldn't make it out; because suddenly his eyes caught something. No, someone. Standing in the middle of the hall, amongst the swirling deadly fog, was a woman in a tattered gray dress, with stringy white hair and eyes that were made of little black pools.

Death.

And suddenly, he couldn't breathe at all. He felt himself choking, but even then his eyes were glued to the demon in the hall, as she stared at him and then actually smiled.

_"You can't stop me, Chosen One."_

Another devilish grin, a mocking laugh that pierced his mind…

…and then Derek's face was in front of his own, ripping something off his belt before shoving it in his face. Anakin panicked for a minute, pushing the older man away, until he felt the strange object get strapped over his head, and his mind cleared enough to hear Derek shouting at him. "Kid, can you hear me? Breathe for crying out loud!"

Snapped out of the daze, Anakin desperately drew in a shaky breath, choking with relief when he gasped in crisp oxygen, and realized the strange object over his face was his military gas mask.

Derek was staring at him in bewilderment and shock. Slowly, Anakin's senses returned, and he made out the sound of gunfire behind him, mutt screeches, and just plain confusion as people stumbled around. He became aware that he was lying on his side on the metal grated platform that led to the stairs, and that Derek and Jason were on their knees by his side.

"Anakin, are you okay?" Jason asked, voice slightly muffled by the gas masks that everyone already had strapped on their faces. "The fog is chemical – that's why Karis ordered everyone to put on their masks – she recognized it immediately."

Ax, who was standing nearby, shot them a strange look. "What the hell, guys?!"

Jason shot him an irritated glare as Obi-Wan fell to his knees beside the group. Immediately, his eyes danced with worry as he looked his partner over for injuries.  _"Anakin, are you okay?"_

Anakin couldn't have been more relieved to feel his Master's soothing presence fill his mind.  _"I'm okay… It's fine. I-I'll explain later"_

Obi-Wan frowned but nodded before turning to Derek and Jason. "We can't stay here, and it looks like we'll have to wait 'till tomorrow to decontaminate this level."

Derek nodded. "Agreed, general. Let's seal off this door for now and make our way back up."

"Yeah, and let's deal with our friends as well," Jason added, motioning to the continuous wave of mutts that the others were barely holding back.

Everyone got to their feet, and Obi-Wan pulled Anakin into a standing position, still eyeing him worriedly.  _"Are you sure you're alright?"_

The Knight was pretty sure he looked as terrible as he felt, but he managed the barest of smiles.  _"Yea, I'm okay"_

Obi-Wan wasn't convinced but he dropped the interrogation for the moment at the sound of Derek shouting, "C'mon, kiddies, we've got to move!"

Coughing, weakened and shaken, the Colony forced their way through the wave of mutts. The eighteenth door was temporarily welded shut to keep out the gas that still swirled around, and once that was completed, Lynn and Josh quickly placed several devices onto the walls. The team moved up onto the upper floor and Josh activated them by remote.

A vibrating red ray shield appeared, cutting off the team from the lower levels and the remaining mutts from coming up any further.

The roof and upper two levels were secure.

For a long fifteen minutes, everyone just stood in the stairwell, listening to the muffled screams of the mutts below that kept ramming into the ray shield only to be shocked with high electricity and forced back. Parts of them ended up burnt back but they just kept trying and trying to reach them, snarling at the prey that were just out of their reach and howling in fury.

After a period of silence broken only by everyone's pants, sighs, and the occasional groan and mumbled profanity, Derek straightened and nodded. "Alright then. We can't just wait around here socializing. Nathan, go on up and signal Kix to land the ships on the rooftop. The rest of you… We've got to decide how we're going to set up our home base."

"It's probably best to keep it on the upper levels," one clone spoke up. "Too many mutts on ground level for my liking."

Derek nodded. "Anyone object to that? No? Okay then, we set up on the twentieth floor. That way we have quick access to the roof as well. We need to people for garbage duty, someone to help with all electrical stuff and whatnot, and others to go through our supplies. It's time for some home makeover, and I don't mean Karis and Inya hanging up prissy little curtains."

Soon enough, tasks were appointed: Derek and Anakin would work on trying to get some ray shields and other defense systems set up. Tomorrow they would go down together and work on the generators once the other levels were cleared. Obi-Wan, Karis, and Inya were to help Kix and Nathan unload the supplies from the ships, and the rest needed to begin getting the worst health-hazards out of the rooms and halls.

Slowly the tasks were carried out. The twelfth floor had suffered less damage than most, but the rotting stench was still strong and it was decided everyone would keep on the gas masks until 'garbage duty' was carried out.

The main communications room was located on the twelfth floor, so there was plenty of equipment to work with. Electricity was still offline, but large storage batteries had been brought.

"Well, here we are." Derek finished breaking down the doors, and he and Anakin stood in the middle of dusty, dirty room. It had been on lockdown, so at least no mutts came barreling out to attack them. No bodies either, which was a real treat.

"I heard you're a bit of a technology expert," the soldier commented as they began digging through rubble, dust, dirt, and scraps. "Think you can get this hospital running again? I mean, with power and all?"

Anakin careful swiped a bunch of broken glass off a holo-table and frowned. "I don't know – I can repair some, but the amount of damage that's been done…"

"Could be beyond any restoration," Derek finished. "So you tell me what can't be fixed for its original purpose and I'll chuck it into the salvage pile."

They worked in silence for several minutes, occasionally the quiet being interrupting by Anakin tossing Derek a ruined projector or computer.

After about fifteen minutes, though, Derek's voice broke through the quiet. "You okay, kid?"

Anakin glanced over at him. "Yeah… Why?"

"What happened back there? With the whole gas thing?"

It was obvious he was just worried and inquiring, but Anakin still turned uncomfortably and shook his head. "Even I don't really know; but… Thanks, anyway. You know, for what you did back there."

Clearing his throat, Derek nodded slowly as he returned to examining and old data base. "Yeah, don't mention it."

After another few minutes of silence, he added, "You remind me of my brother, you know."

The Knight looked up, raising an eyebrow as Derek continued, "His name's Cal. Went MIA once Yaazix-5 was invaded. He's a bit older than you, but you've definitely got his personality." He straightened and shrugged, clearing his throat again. "Yeah, so…"

"Sounds like a good man," Anakin replied.

"He is. He is, and he would've been the first to volunteer for this crazy mission. Could never keep him away from danger, he would just rush right in there." A sigh. "Sure do hope he's got enough excitement to keep him busy, wherever he is."

Slowly, the scorching sun that fried Coruscant lowered itself, replaced by a moon that shone its eerie white rays upon the planet, highlighting the yellow eyes that began appearing more and more frequently at the scent of fresh meat. The communication room was cleared out, and though nothing advanced could be repaired in a few hours, Anakin got battery-operated ray shields over the doors and the heavy metal lockdown plates were activated and lowered over the windows. It was decided that 'home base' would center around the old twelfth floor cafeteria, which, once cleaned out, looked similar to a small gymnasium. Bodies of victims and mutts were piled onto the rooftop to be burned later on, once the hospital was more secured. Supplies was stocked up in the lounge room, medical equipment set up in the lounge. In the hours they were on Coruscant, the Colony had a pretty basic central working by the time night fell.

"And this is what we shall call this room!" Derek announced as they all entered the cafeteria, now set up with cots, some equipment, and weapons covering one wall. "This is Central! Everyone, pick a bed, any bed."

Once everyone was settled, the doors were sealed shut and locked with ray shields. Emergency lockdown was activated, and only the eerie red bulbs in the ceiling provided light. They ate rations, and established guard duty.

"I'll take first watch," Jason offered.

Everything was divided evenly. Space to sleep. Water to wash up. Ash, blood, grime, and Force-knows-what-else was wiped off faces with rags. Heavy armor stripped to t-shirts and light kakis. With the screeches of the mutts blocked by the door seals, there was an awkward silence throughout the group as the events of the day caught up to them.

The main question that entered each mind was:  _What the hell am I doing here?_

And absolutely no one had a satisfying answer.

Anakin collapsed onto a cot in the farthest corner, wincing as he rammed the shoulder that was bruised from when he must've collapsed during the gas incident. Flashes of Death, smiling, laughing, mocking him ran through his mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut tight, blocking the images.

"Anakin?"

The Knight looked up to see Obi-Wan sit down on the cot directly next to him. The Master watched his former apprentice with concerned eyes as he laid down, still facing the younger Jedi. "Anakin, are you okay?"

Instantly, those bright blue eyes were drowned in misery.

Obi-Wan sighed quietly. "I wish I could tell you it'll be alright," he whispered. "I really do."

Anakin stared before biting his lip. "I know," he answered, voice equally quiet. "Master, what are we going to do?"

Obi-Wan Kenobi had never been very good at strategizing – that was his partner's specialty. He was the Negotiator. He took things as they came. But that tactic was failing him so far, so he switched to the more convicted part of him, that tiny corner in his mind that had hardened from the horrors he had just seen and the pain he saw flashing across his best friend's face.

"We survive," he stated firmly. "And then we beat this thing."

And the night dragged on with that heavy feeling lingering in the air, weighing the atmosphere down. Midnight. Everything silent until Jason, sitting in a corner on watch, picked up an old comlink and began speaking into it; quietly. But his voice seemed to echo through the silent room.

"Jason Dean speaking. This is log entry #1. As I said before, I am Jedi Knight Jason Dean of the Galactic Republic, and my current position is Standards Hospital, Coruscant. Ten o'clock at night. I don't have a camcorder or anything, so I'm using my old comlink. Hopefully, these logs can be turned into messages or transmissions if needed. If we don't return to Naboo alive, that is, you'll at least know what happened to us…"


	10. Securing Home Base

**DATE: 5/07/45876**

"Force-damn it, shoot them in the head!"

"Defensive positions, now!"

"Use the blasters, they're safer."

And the rest of the mutts poured through.

Anakin couldn't tell which was more horrifying: the fact that there were probably hundreds of mutts pouring through the doorway and trapping them in Central, or the way they  ** _looked_**. Burnt black all over, rotten flesh turned into charcoal, eyes mostly just hollow, bloody holes.

"Those kriffing things ran right through the ray shields!" Josh shouted from somewhere to the right. "Right through!"

"Keep it together!" Derek hollered above the noise. "Short bursts of ammo, don't let panic run our supplies to the ground!"

"Look at them all!" Nathan exclaimed, as if he hadn't heard the man. "How we gonna stop those things? Look at 'em!"

Panic was beginning to take over as the mutts kept coming, wave after wave of the vile creatures pouring through the door. The air was becoming polluted with the ringing of the firearms and the screams of the animals. Derek, Obi-Wan and Jason were in the front, while the others took cover behind beds and other objects.

Still, the monsters kept coming. People began coughing and hacking, smoke and smog building up. The ray shields had been knocked out, so Central was now wide open.

"We have to seal that door!" Derek hollered. "Any ideas?"

Obi-Wan found himself slipping into the Force and contacting Anakin.  _"You have anything?"_

He had been a strategic mastermind during the Clone War. Anakin fought off his growing fear and studied their situation, surroundings, and what they'd have to do to hold off the mutants.

Something in his mind clicked. He yelled through the Force,  _"Master, see the loose ceiling tiles above the door?"_

_"Yes"_

_"Bring it down!"_

Movements synchronized perfectly, both Jedi outstretched their hands and accessed the Force, shooting the powerful energy not at the mutts but at the roof above them. The heavy steel tiles fell easily, crushing the mutts beneath and securing the doorway. Dust blew into the air, temporarily blinding everyone, and sending them tumbling backwards.

For a few long, dragged out moments, nobody moved or spoke.

Then…

"What the hell?!"

Ax's voice rang out furiously. The soldier stormed over to Anakin's position and roughly shoved the other man backwards. "You were supposed to secure this room! You said they couldn't get through!"

"How was I supposed to know they'd crawl through the shields?" Anakin immediately protested once his shock melted away. "I didn't think…"

"We all almost died 'cause you 'didn't think'!"

"Don't blame me!"

"I  ** _am_**  blaming you, damn it!" Ax had everyone else riled now. "Who put you in charge of defenses anyway?!"

"Enough,  ** _everyone_**!" Derek snapped; but no one seemed to hear him.

"No one knew those things could get through the ray shields," Jason argued at Ax, jumping to Anakin's defense. "Not even you."

"But why was a  ** _kid_**  put in charge of security anyway?"

"Shut up, Ax," Karis groaned.

"No, I think he's got a point," Lynn spoke up.

Soon, shouts and bickering were echoing through the room. Arguments drowned out Derek and Obi-Wan's attempts to calm to group down.

_This was what I had been afraid of_ , Obi-Wan thought grimly.  _The stress is making us turn on each other_. "Everyone has to calm down!"

No one listened – at least, not until Derek was forced to jump on top of one of the cots and shout out, " ** _ENOUGH_**!" at the top of his lungs.

The harshness of his voice and the firm tone shocked everyone into stunned silence and submission.

Derek wore a deep scowl and frowned down at them. "We're not here to play the blame game," he said hotly. "So all of you stop snapping at each other. Right now. What just happened is nobody's fault but the mutts'; but if you really must blame someone, blame me. I ordered those shields to be put up."

"But he's the technology expert," Ax retorted, still glaring at Anakin. "He should've known…"

"How was I supposed to know?" Anakin cut in, frowning just as angrily. "I don't know any more about these creatures than you do."

"Stop it!" Jason's voice exclaimed. "We can't be fighting with each other! We're all a team here – we need to act like it. All of us."

Slowly, eventually, heads began to nod, including a still steaming Ax.

Derek looked over each face, crossing his arms. "Tomorrow we're taking the rest of this building and making this our official home. We're all the Colony, and we're all in this together now. If we don't start acting like it, none of us will leave here alive."

More nods, coming more easily this time. Derek jumped down, pleased, and Obi-Wan pointed to the barricade. "Tonight we'll have two guards, and tomorrow we'll restore power and fix those doors. Rest of you get back to your cots…"

"…we've got work to do tomorrow."

**xXx (The Next Morning) xXx**

_Jason Dean, log entry #3. Last night brought our situation into full light. We're not just at war with the mutts – we're fighting off growing tension amongst ourselves. I have to admit my main concern is with Ax. Something just doesn't feel right about him. He's a hothead, and that makes me nervous. The way he snapped at Anakin last night, and then started the full blown fight amongst us all… It makes me uneasy. We need to be a team. All of us. An eye kept on him from now on will be necessary; the last thing we need to deal with is a trouble maker._

_I can see the morning sun begin to rise. Hot and dry, like Tatooine. So much has changed, and we've only been here less than 24 hours. I can only imagine the horrors the morning will bring._

_One can't help but wonder who will survive the day. All of us? None of us? I had mentioned before that not everyone has a happy ending._

_And unfortunately, that includes even the strongest of us…_

5:30 in the morning, and starch yellow rays of light burned down on the ruins of a world once known as Coruscant.

Jason Dean and Josh sat propped up against the front wall, guns in hand. Everyone else lay exhausted on their cots, sound asleep. Josh looked around the room. "Should we wake them?" he asked.

Jason put his log comm down and thought a bit. "Give 'em a few more minutes. Anakin and Derek took a long shift for us anyway."

Fifteen minutes later ticked by before Jason finally began shaking people awake. Groaning, the Colony stirred and awakened to their first day at 'home'.

"Morning, sunshines," Derek yawned as he slapped on his camo jacket and traditional black baseball cap, worn backwards.

"I already hate this place," Lynn mumbled.

Anakin and Obi-Wan were some of the first to dress, and took seats near Jason and Derek.

"Anything happen during watch?" Derek inquired as he began pulling out a few cans of hash.

"Nothing," Josh replied. "Couldn't even hear those things. Must've been sleeping like babies."

"Or trying to find another way in here," Inya spoke up.

"They're stupid animals," Ax countered.

"Inya thinks these things are fairly intelligent," Josh explained to the Jedi and Derek. "Maybe even smarter than they had been before the virus took over their bodies."

"I find that hard to believe," Nathan voiced.

"I saw these things close up," Inya stated. "When Dr. Fuzio was transformed. They're not just brainless zombies like in a horror film. They're mutants."

"I don't care if they can recite Pi forwards and backwards," Rex said, who had remained silent most of their time on Coruscant. "I'm blasting 'em as if they were droids."

"Just remember that when a droid bites you, you don't get turned into one," Derek warned.

Lynn made a face. "Droids don't bite."

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan. "Do we have a plan for today?" he whispered.

The Master frowned. "You'd have to ask Derek. Seems he's taken over this operation."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Of course," he answered quickly. "This is more of a military mission, and he's certainly better for this role."

"What role? Who?" Derek inquired, tuning into their conversation.

"Obi-Wan's telling me how you're now den mommy," Anakin said, managing a light turn and slight smile – the first in a while, Obi-Wan noted.

That brought a laugh. "I think, General Kenobi, you are mixing me up with yourself."

"No Derek, you're doing a fine job keeping this mission together. Keep at it."

Derek grinned as Nathan spoke up. "Well then,  ** _mommy_** , you gonna serve out that hash or what? Your babies are starving."

The quick, rationed meal was served, and everyone spread out or sat in small groups to eat.

Anakin moved over to a rather solitary corner, quickly followed by Obi-Wan. After shoveling a few spoonful's of food in, the Master spoke up. "So, are you going to talk to me?"

Anakin knew what he wanted: an explanation for yesterday's incident, with the gas and his collapse. He shifted uncomfortably and sighed. "I don't really have anything to say."  _Lies, lies, lies…_

"Tell me what happened yesterday."

"I don't know."

"You know something. Anakin, I want to help you…"

"Master, please…"

"Is it about Ahsoka?" the older Jedi asked suddenly.

Anakin's eyes widened. "No. No, this isn't about her."

"Then what?" Obi-Wan furrowed his brow, gray eyes pleading. "Anakin, we're going to be here for a fair while; and you can't hide away the truth forever." He shook his head slowly. "Anakin, please, let me try to help you."

He'd used those same words the day Anakin had admitted to be suffering after effects from Ahsoka's death. That had been when Obi-Wan took him to the Soul Healers, and slowly, the trauma ebbed away. Anakin looked at his Master and all he saw was sincere concern. He sighed. "You remember those nightmares I'd been having, before MAV hit?"

"Yes." It seemed so long ago, but yes, he remembered.

Another sigh. "They were about all this – the virus, the apocalypse, and some kind of demon that calls herself Death. And yesterday, I thought I saw her, in that hallway."

Obi-Wan's frown deepened even more, if possible. "You had a vision?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Did you have any more last night?"

"No." Anakin leaned forward, elbows on knees, and bowed his heads. "I don't know what to do."

Obi-Wan placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, grateful that the others had moved away to give them space. He thought hard for several moments before speaking. "I think the Force is trying to use you, Anakin. Warn us all by giving you these visions."

Anakin's voice was bitter. "Like a psychic?"

"What?"

He shook his head, straightening. "Nothing. Just something someone said."

Just then, Derek came over and gave a nod of his head. "We've got a plan for today."

The plan was similar to their last night strategy: Team A leads while B watches the rear. Gas masks would be worn the entire time, and pairs would be buddied up. Obi-Wan hesitantly agreed to Derek's suggestion that Anakin lead with him, while he go with Inya. Jason with Lynn, Rex with Karis, Kix with Josh…

"Remember to conserve ammo," Derek stated as they finished strapping on the rest of their armor. "We go slow and steady, no sense in wasting bullets. Everyone stays together or at least with their partner. Our objective is to clear each floor here and then the basement so Anakin can give us some power by fixing up those generators."

Masks snapped in place, gloves slipped on, and slowly, the barrier was taken down, freeing the doorway.

No one in sight, not a single mutt in the hall.

_That just makes it all the more creepy_. They proceeded through, and then crept to the open stairwell, an eerie atmosphere already settled on the ghost hospital.

Wisps of the toxic gas lingered in the air of the stairwell. "Remember… slowly," Derek whispered.

Slow did they go. Not a mutt to be seen, which just made everyone more worried. As they trekked through the gas-fogged eighteenth floor, the white smoke obscured most vision, the UV rays doing little assist.

They were six rooms in when they came. Pouring out of each door, screeching and snarling. All of them in ragged clothing, practically bald, eyes dripping blood and rank yellow foam leaking from the crooked mouths. They came running, jaws hanging open by torn shreds of flesh, stumbling and howling.

Bullets plowed down the first wave, the noise bouncing off all the walls. The gas kept everything dark except for the flashes of light from the guns and the musty rays of sun that managed to come through the closed blinds that covered the old windows.

It didn't take long for most of the group to start separating unintentionally. Anakin remained on Derek's heels, but he couldn't see anyone else. "We lost them!" he called out.

Derek paused and looked around quickly. They had been running hard for several minutes; not a mutt or Colony member was within earshot.

"Damn." Now in the seventeenth floor, Derek swiped off his mask and rubbed the sweat off his face. "That ain't good." He looked around some more. "We should head for the stairwell. This floor is clear now anyway."

Anakin was more than happy letting Derek give the orders. He followed the soldier through the halls, using red markings that had been applied to the walls with spray paint as guides.

The black grated stairs clanged as they stepped onto them. "We'll wait here for them; hopefully, they're sticking with their partners."

Suddenly, there was a furious howl from above. Anakin looked up just in time to see Ax wrestling with a mutt on the grated platform above.

Then, the support rails snapped, Ax and the mutt crashed down on Anakin, and all three fell off the stairs and crashed onto another platform eight floors below.


End file.
